


Saving Destiny

by WickedlyAwesomeMe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Born-a-girl Merlin, F/M, Female Merlin, Genderbending, Missing Persons, Royal Merlin, Rule 63, Time Travel, bodyguard Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-10 12:36:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 137,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12299361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedlyAwesomeMe/pseuds/WickedlyAwesomeMe
Summary: Their roles may be reversed,  but destiny remains unchanged.  Now that destiny is being threatened by an old time foe,  it is up to Arthur and Merlin to set things back in order.





	1. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meeting with her bodyguards... or is it? Princess Merlin is very confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will not be your typical Merlin/Arthur modern love story. I've added more cliches just for the fun of it hahaha.

* * *

“Princess Merlin Ambrosius Emrys, Crown Princess of England.”

The huge, oak doors simultaneously opened, and all guests looked as the princess of their country strolled in.

Princess Merlin, aged eighteen, gracefully stepped towards her throne, her chin up, her hands lightly lifting her skirt so as not to let the hems of her dress touch the floor. All eyes were on her, awed and amazed at the gracefulness she exuded. Ahead stood her parents, the great King Balinor and Queen Hunith, awaiting the arrival of their daughter.

Today was a ball in honor of their daughter, who would soon leave the palace to go to the University of Avalon. Merlin had always dreamed of getting a college degree, especially taking up the course History, since she always had a penchant of reading facts about the past and itching to learn from them for her future endeavors. At first, her parents were against it, but with constant persistence from Merlin, they finally succumbed to her wishes.

It was big news for the country, especially because it would be the first time a royal under the House of Emrys to not be homeschooled. Times have been changing, and the media had swarmed over this news like eager bees, reckoning that this might be the start of something new… that maybe the princess, once crowned Queen in the future, would bring something different for their country.

Merlin dreaded the added pressure she placed upon herself, but the anticipation of going to someplace new had overpowered all the pressure given her way. Finally, she could act like a normal teenager and finish her college degree.

“Father, Mother,” Merlin murmured, curtsying in front of her parents once she reached the throne. Balinor and Hunith beckoned their daughter to step up beside them. A servant immediately walked towards the royal family, with a tray of glass wines. Each got their own glass and King Balinor stepped forward. The banquet quietened down as all of his subjects looked at him.

“My dear guests, friends, and family, today, we graciously invited you in honor of my daughter,” he started. Beside him, Merlin softly smiled while Hunith looped an arm around her daughter’s. “My princess has grown, gone were the days when she would allow me to tell her bedtime stories of fancy knights and damsels in distress.”

A collective chuckle rang across the banquet, and Merlin found herself welling up a little. Despite the stress of her position in this country, she still loved her parents dearly. They were the ones who were beside her on her most trying days.

“Merlin,” he addressed, turning slightly around to look at her. “I know you will do well in the University of Avalon. You have always made us proud, and as the future Queen of this kingdom, I know that you will be wonderful.”

“Thank you, Father,” she sweetly replied, eyes a little dewy. 

“Thus, my dear people, let us all give a toast for Crown Princess Merlin Ambrosius Emrys!” He raised his goblet and boomed, “Long live the Princess!”

Everybody in the room echoed his words, and truthfully, the effect of this never failed to give Merlin some chills. The fact that people are looking at her, expectant and respectful, was overwhelming for her. A mixture of feelings pooled in her heart, and all she could do was curtsy, her smile turning wide and beautiful.

King Balinor then gave his cue to his servants, and soon, dinner was brought in.

* * *

Many princes and other royals asked for Merlin’s permission for a dance, and as princess, she was obliged to agree. That did not mean she was not dead tired from all the twirling and the swaying. Cringing, she could already imagine Madame Margeaux, shrilly telling her to _sway like the wind, bend like the flowers._

Merlin finally plopped down on her throne, her feet already killing her. From the amount of people still inside the Banquet Hall, her going away party was still nowhere near finished. At the far end, she could see her mother’s disapproving look, knowing how much she slackened her back and maybe a tad opened her knees, and Merlin sheepishly smiled and proceeded to sit primly and properly.

Ever since she was five years old, she already knew that she would one day rule over this whole country. Perhaps, her innocent mind still had no idea how huge her responsibility would be someday, but now that she was eighteen, everything seemed so… _suffocating_.

Honestly speaking, she loved all the perks she had as a princess. She got to have a huge array of colorful clothes (and lovely scarves and kerchiefs!) and was able to procure a library-full of books solely for her in the castle. As princess, she knew she could have everything at her beck and call.

But as princess, she also knew that she had a responsible to fulfill. She was homeschooled since five, and all she learned about were decorum, etiquette, politics, warship, economics etc. Her young mind was already open with all kinds of issues the kingdom has, and at times, she grew tired. But really, who does not?

There were times when Merlin would ponder about her current life. She had always believed that she was destined to be something else… to be _something more._ Being Queen was already one big of a responsibility, but there was something in her heart that always yearned for something different. Every time she retreated to her comforting library, reading adventure stories that people had on her books, she dreamt that she was supposed to have a different adventure solely for her, and not be confined merely as the Crown Princess of England.

She wasn’t exactly an atrocious princess, but she wasn’t the best either. It would have been okay if she had clumsy tendencies or her ears were a bit too large. It would have been okay if she would choose reading in the library, dreaming, imagining, wishing instead of learning about proper decorum, curtsying, dancing, and socializing. But then again, she was Crown Princess – she was expected to be the best so that once shewas queen, people would respect her and be loyal to her.

“Princess Merlin?”

Her thoughts were halted as a handsome Prince stepped into her line of vision. Merlin recognized him as a Prince of a land somewhere in the Arabian lands. Instantly, she placed a smile on her face. One rule Madame Margeaux always drilled into her mind – always smile sweetly.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

Merlin internally sighed before nodding her head and standing up. She allowed the prince to guide her towards the center of the banquet hall, and started to sway with the music. Her eyes briefly connected with her mother’s, and Merlin rolled her eyes. Hunith raised an eyebrow at her behaviour, but Merlin merely shook her head. She knew that look on her mother’s face - prying and conniving - and somehow Merlin knew that Hunith was already imaging the two of them as the future King and Queen of England.

 _‘Honestly, mother,’_ she thought to herself. _‘We’ve barely known each other.’_

Call her traditional, or maybe blame her books in her library, but Merlin believed that people only marry because of true love. It gave her some peace when her parents supported her decision to do so. Hunith,  however,  had been growing impatient and kept on  _subtly_ throwing princes at her. 

“Princess Merlin,” the prince called, his voice thick with a foreign accent. “Merlin… what a strange name. Why did your parents choose that name for you?”

Merlin shrugged, her smile never faltering. “My mother thinks of it as special, my dear Prince - ?”

“Aladdin,” he quickly added.

“As in the one from the fairy tale?” she asked, humor in her eyes.

The prince sheepishly smiled and laughed. “My mother can be very… _odd_ ,” he said.

Merlin laughed this time. Prince Aladdin seemed a good man.

As the two danced away, Merlin remembered the story of how Hunith chose that name for her. Prince Aladdin wasn’t the first one to ask her how she was able to get that name. In fact, Merlin had once asked her mother about it, having been able to read about her name in the stories of old.

 _“On the day you were conceived, I had a dream_ ,” Hunith told her, little Merlin snuggled deep into her arms. _“There was an odd man, with a long, white beard, and twinkling blue eyes that held all the knowledge of the world. He never spoke of anything, but three words –_ ‘Name her Merlin’.”

Thus, she was christened as Merlin, and sometimes, the princess fancied herself into thinking that the special name made her a special person. And it turned out that she actually was.

When she was ten, she had an accident. The car she was riding back home with her nanny and two other servants were hit by a speeding bus, leaving one of her servants dead and the rest of them injured. When the police and other authorities responded, they were able to see a crying Merlin, unblemished but traumatized. Nobody thought of it as strange, in fact they thoughy it was a miracle. The King and Queen, however,  were deeply troubled and suspicious. 

The following days, things had been stranger. There were floating plates and spontaneously combusting bushes. Everywhere Merlin went, “accidents” seemed to happen, and her parents finally asked for help from their Council. One suggested that she should be looked by a doctor, another by a priest. But all their suggestions, her parents had already tried, until the Council Head of Finance finally suggested that the princess might possess a strange gift – _magic_.

The King and Queen had consulted a lot of experts ever since that strange suggestion. It still baffled them, especially since they were already living in the 21st century and magic seemed too outdated to be considered. They had let their secretaries research and was able to come up with the whole genealogy of the royal family. Turned out that a few generations back, there were known sorcerers in their family, and Merlin might have been blessed to acquire their family’s gift.

Balinor and Hunith explained this to their daughter, whom, having read numerous books even during her youth, fully understood what she possessed. Her parents thought it would be a threat to her life if the world discovered she was magic, and since then, they made her promise and those who already knew, that they would keep her magic a secret.

“Princess Merlin?” Prince Aladdin called, bringing Merlin’s thought back into the present. The princess smiled at him sheepishly, having been caught zoning off, and she felt a little apologetic to the prince.

“I’m sorry, I just had a lot of things in mind,” she said, prompting the prince to laugh.

“It’s quite all right,” he said. “I’m sure going away from the castle for a while might be taxing for you.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m not even sure how you were able to coerce your parents in allowing you to go to a normal university! I’ve been homeschooled for all my life, and I’m sure my parents will be appalled with just the idea of me going to school.”

Merlin smiled, the memory of pleading and crying to her parents still fresh in her mind. “I have my own ways,” she said. “And besides, it would be awesome – I, um, mean wonderful to widen my horizons.”

Prince Aladdin chuckled at Merlin’s obvious slip. Once again, she could hear Madame Margeaux yammering in her ear that princesses do not say _‘awesome’._

“I’ve always wanted to study History,” she continued. “And I thought that maybe if I learned from the best about it, I would be able to apply it to my future as a Queen. You know, understand from the past what could be the best and the worst for my kingdom. Thankfully, my parents thought of my reason as, well, reasonable.”

The prince nodded. “I understand,” he said, as he now stepped back from the princess since the song already stopped. “I bid you farewell and good luck, Princess Merlin. I am glad to know that England will be in good hands in the future.”

Merlin’s heart swelled in pride. It always made her feel a little giddy when people sincerely told her she would be a great Queen someday, even though she herself doubted about it often.

“Goodbye, Aladdin,” she said, looking at him once more. She curtsied in respect and once again went back to her throne, dreadfully waiting for another prince to sweep her back into the dance floor.

* * *

All her bags were packed and Merlin took a full minute to just stand inside her vast bedroom, forever imprinting in her mind the look of her bedroom one last time. She would not be back until her term break, and she would greatly miss her comfortable bedroom. She bid her reading nook near her humongous window one last farewell glance, before walking outside the room.

Some of the housemaids immediately helped her with her things, and Merlin smiled at them gratefully. She had grown up a little clumsy, and had caused a little too many accidents in the past, and without her faithful servants, she wouldn’t have grown blemish-free today.

They all walked downstairs, her parents and some unfamiliar faces already greeting her below.

Outside was a black car, with two, English flaglets in front, signifying that a royal was inside the car. Merlin always hated this, because she knew that this would attract too much attention. On the bright side, there would be no traffic for them.  
“Have you prepared everything you need, Merlin?” King Balinor asked.

“Yes, Father, I am ready,” she said, giving both of her parents a curtsy. She looked at both of them, trying not to cry, knowinh she would terribly miss them. Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around her father, hugging him tight. King Balinor chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, patting her back in the processes.

“I will miss you Father,” she whispered, pulling away from his hug. She looked at Hunith, who was also trying not to cry, and gave her a hug. “You too, Mother, I promise to be good even when you are not looking.”

The Queen laughed, and gave her a daughter a kiss on her forehead. “I know you will be, my daughter.”

“Your Highness, it is time to leave.”

Merlin pulled herself away from her mother to look at the source of the voice. A group of men, all surprisingly her age, were looking at the royal family.

“Merlin, they will be your bodyguards,” King Balinor introduced, sensing her question. “They, too, are enrolled in the University of Avalon, taking up History. Hence, they will be your classmates and at the same time your bodyguards.”

The princess raised an eyebrow, already predicting at the eyes these group of young men would attract in the university. Undeniably, they were all handsome.

A pair of footsteps resounded in the vast room as a newcomer hastily arrived. “Forgive me for the delay,” he announced. “I had to talk to the Head Security about the final details for the princess’ stay in the university.”

When Merlin looked at him, her heart froze.

He was familiar.

Looking at him, with his blond hair slicked back atop his head and his blue eyes... such strange, familiar ones, Merlin wondered if she had seen him somewhere before.

Everything in her felt different. It felt like a huge knot in her heart became untangled and she was… what? Happy?

“Merlin?” King Balinor asked, snapping her off her musings.

Merlin then realized that continuous tears streamed down from her face and she was baffled. The familiar man strangely looked at her, his eyes boring deep into her own set of blue ones, and she wondered if he, too felt the same.

The tears would not stop, and she merely turned around to give her father a hug, to show that her emotions were merely because she was leaving.

“You must be the Head Bodyguard,” King Balinor said, still a little distracted from Merlin’s sudden emotions.

Merlin peered at him as the blond bowed in respect.

“My name is Arthur Pendragon, your highness,” he addressed to Merlin as she turned around to fully look at him once more. “And I will be your Head Bodyguard for the rest of your stay in the university.”

At lost of what to do, Merlin curtsied, much to the surprise of the other occupants in the room, and inside, she thought that the gesture towards strange Arthur Pendragon felt familiar. Again.

“Pleasure,” she murmured, her eyes once again boring into his. It might have been her imagination, but Arthur’s eyes seemed warmer, and Merlin reckoned that perhaps, her stay in the University of Avalon would be, for lack of a better word, awesome.


	2. University of Avalon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Merlin tries to get to know her dashing bodyguards.

Gwaine, Elyon, Percival, Lancelot, Leon, and of course, Arthur.

Merlin looked from one bodyguard to another, trying to associate their names with their faces. Gwaine was the one with the tousled hair, and with a playful glint in his eyes. Elyon, with dark skin and perfectly white teeth, was serious and somehow quiet. Percival was the youngest of the group, although Merlin could not resist looking at his, well, bulky arms. Lancelot was quiet, but his eyes held warmth and Merlin could somehow sense that he was smart. Leon was initiative, and somehow led the little band of handsome men. And well, Arthur, as the Head Bodyguard of the Princess’, was silent and still _familiar_.

As the boys chattered away, Arthur kept to himself, his blue eyes glued silently at the car window. Merlin wondered if the feeling she felt when she saw him was not one-sided, but even though she kept on trying to catch his attention, Arthur seemed to absolutely ignore her.

“So…” Gwaine, who was the one closest to her seat, piped. “with all due respect, how were you able to convince the King to let you study in the University of Avalon, your highness?”

Merlin looked at him with amusement, surprised with his audacity. Normally, people would leave her alone, regard her as someone too _high and regal_ to actually engage in small talks. “As the daughter, I have awesome perks,” she said. Her bodyguards chuckled in amusement, surprised with her choice of words. “Oh please, we are not in the castle anymore, aren’t we? I’d rather put my title behind and just study well in the university.”

Gwaine shrugged, a huge grin on his face. “Awesome,” he said, echoing her.

Merlin laughed. She was positively sure she would like this man.

“So, how were you chosen to accompany me?” she asked, knowing the ice had already been broken. She was starting to grow comfortable with these bodyguards. If her parents were here, the whole travel would have been silent, knowing no one would dare talk to the regals without being acknowledged first. It was good to interact with people close to her age. It made her feel a little less special.

“We have been trained since we were children, Princess,” Leon said this time. “Actually, we did not expect that you will go to a university, but either way, we’d still be your bodyguards.”

Merlin looked at them thoughtfully. “Ever since children?” she echoed, surprised that she had never heard of this. She used to think that the bodyguards in the castle were hired, with of course after some few gruelling trainings. She made a mental note to peruse about this more later on. 

Elyan nodded his head. “Our families had been serving the House of Emrys for decades, and we are just living up to their legacy,” he explained. He jutted a thumb at the quiet Arthur. “Arthur’s family has been in this business longer than any of us here, so I am sure you’ve heard the Pendragons.”

Now that Elyan pointed it out, Merlin knew the name “Pendragon” was familiar. She could vaguely remember rough Uther Pendragon, one of her father’s most trusted bodyguards. No wonder Merlin could not remember the man immediately. She could remember the man scaring the shoes off her, and ever since then she had avoided him at all cost.

Looking at Arthur now, she could see the uncanny resemblance, but her personal bodyguard had this softness in him that his father lacked.

“All right,” Merlin said in understanding. She brought her hands together and looked at her bodyguards in their eyes. She lingered a little longer at Arthur, who matched her steady gaze, before Merlin broke away. “Since you are all my personal bodyguards, I would like to set down the rules.”

“We have been briefed beforehand, Princess.” Surprisingly, it was Arthur who spoke.

Merlin’s eyes landed on him once again. “Let me rephrase that,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I would like to set _my own_ rules.”

She waited for Arthur to say anything in addition. Arthur looked away from her, and Merlin took this as a cue to continue. “First, as much as possible, please do not address me as _‘Princess’_ or _‘your highness’_. Just _‘Merlin’_ is enough, really. We’ll be classmates and we’d be around each other for God knows how long. Are we clear?”

“Yes, your… oh.”

Merlin chuckled at Percival, who blushed upon realizing his slip. “All right, I will allow the occasional titles, but really, I encourage you to call me _‘Merlin’._ ”

“Secondly, I expect my bodyguards to excel in their studies.” Gwaine gave an obvious frown, much to her amusement. “I do not want you to lag behind just because you have so-called _duties_ of protecting me.”

Gwained expelled a sigh. “Yes, Merlin,” he mumbled, and she smiled at his address.

“Lastly,” she continued, “I hope we can all be _friends_. Yes, we have our roles to assume, but I would like us to work harmoniously, and in order to do so, we must build a certain rapport.” She grinned, already imagining great things ahead in the future. For some strange reason, she felt comfortable with this band of bodyguards. All of them seemed excited and wide-eyed with their job to protect her, and Merlin hoped that they would be the best bodyguards she could ask for.

* * *

Once they arrived in the University of Avalon, Merlin had to try her best to hide her disgruntlement. The whole staff of the University, with Headmaster William Stronghold leadong them all, was there to greet her. Some students also awaited her arrival, some with annoying little flags of England that were waved excitedly in the air.

It was Arthur who went down the limousine first, followed promptly by the others. Bodyguard Arthur opened the car door, and out came the Princess. Headmaster Stronghold bowed in reverence, lifted his head, and said, “Welcome to the University of Avalon, Princess Merlin.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, inclining her head. “It is my greatest pleasure to be accepted in such a prestigious university.”

This seemed to make the headmaster puff out his chest in pride. “But of course,” he said, a proud grin on his face. “We are pleased that you have chosen to go to this university, of all places in the world.”

Merlin spared him the truth that she merely chose this university because it was the closest to the palace. She was sure her parents would flatly say no if she were to request other historical countries, such as China or maybe Germany.

Headmaster Stronghold gestured at an eager young man behind him, with slicked back hair, immaculate clothing, and a green sash that bore the words “Student Council President”. “This is Immanuel Meester, the student council president for this school-year, and he will direct you to your living quarters for this semester.”

Merlin nodded her head and followed Immanuel, her bodyguards in tow. As she passed by the group of professors, briefly memorizing their faces in case they would become her teacher, her eyes connected to one professor, with unruly, long greying hair. Round spectacles perched on his wrinkly nose and Merlin tried to rack her brain, positively sure she had seen him somewhere before.

“Your highness,” he greeted. Merlin frowned. Even his voice, croaky but wise with age, sounded familiar.

“Princess Merlin, we must make haste,” the Student Council President called, getting her attention.

Merlin nodded her head, gave the professor one last look, before looking straight ahead once more.

* * *

Merlin sighed in relief as she was brought in a room already occupied by another student. The university at first offered to give her a private room, but Merlin strongly disagreed, not wanting to be given any special treatment. She went to the this university as a student willing to learn, after all, and not some royal to be pampered by strangers.

“Here is your room,” Immanuel said, gesturing inside. “If you have any concerns, your highness, feel free to consult me anytime.”

“Thank you,” she said, nodding her head in return.

The president then left her room together with her bodyguards. She remembered that their rooms were just next to hers, which is technically breaking some rules, since they were merely supposed to be surrounded with other female dormers. But of course, her bodyguards must be near her at all times; hence, the rooms prepared beside hers would be occupied by them.

“Umm…” her roommate suddenly piped. “Your highness, your bed is right over there and if you do need anything, you can ask me.”

Merlin smiled. “Please, call me ‘Merlin’,” she insisted, prompting the girl to smile. “After all, we’ll be roommates for the whole year.” The girl nodded, and Merlin sauntered towards her bed. Her things were already placed cleanly into their places, much to her relief. She was tired from the journey, and she just wanted to take a quick nap before the start of classes.

“I’m sorry,” the princess said, turning back to her roommate, “I haven’t asked for your name yet.”

“Oh,” her roommate said. “My name is Guinevere de Lyonesse, but you can call me Gwen, your – err, Merlin.”

Merlin raised her eyebrows. “De Lyonesse, as in Elyan de Lyonesse?” she asked, remembering one of her bodyguard’s introduction. Merlin surveyed the girl and compared her with Elyan, finally seeing a resemblance. They have the same complexion and eyes.

Gwen nodded. “Elyan is my brother,” she confirmed. “The palace thought it would be best if you are to be roommates with someone they know, since you insisted not to take the university’s offer for a private room.”

The Princess sighed. “Figures,” she said, shaking her head. “Anyway, are you taking up history too?”

“Oh no,” Gwen said, “I’m taking up biology as a pre-med course. I do plan to be a doctor someday.”

Merlin could see the enthusiasm in her face. Somehow, she envied that Gwen had a _choice_ on what she would become in the future. Although she was thankful her parents allowed her to take up History in the university, she doubted they would allow her to become a historian or a professor. _Of course_. But then, the only choice she had was to accept her fate, to train and become the best Queen of England she could ever be.

“Classes are about to start, Merlin,” Gwen reminded her. “Do you want me to accompany you to your next class?”

Merlin smiled, having an inkling her bodyguards are already flocked outside her room, waiting for the Princess. “No thank you,” she said. “I’m sure I will get by.”

* * *

Gwaine suggested that they be in a v-formation, which was _ridiculous_.

“What?” he claimed. “In every angle, we can protect the Princess,” he said.

The other bodyguards gave up and just heeded his request. Arthur was at the very middle, just behind the Princess, and the others rearranged themselves just to form the ridiculous ‘v’.

Merlin watched them all with amazement, thanking the gods above that they were _interesting_ and not just merely stuck-up, aloft bodyguards. She had seen some of those kinds in the palace, and she hated being around their presences.

As they walked, all eyes were on her and the group, which was expected. But nobody seemed to dare approach or crowd them. Merlin’s eyes scanned the environment, trying to look for any suspicious people. When her parents and the university assured her that there would be no paparazzi or any _rabid_ journalists allowed in the school grounds, she was relieved. But then again, she could not be too cautious. Scandals arise from carelessness and she has a position to uphold!

She scanned for few minutes before allowing herself to relax. Merlin allowed herself to appreciate the university this time, marvelling at how environmental-friendly it was in a world of advancing technology. Towering trees were scattered everywhere, and some students were already lounging underneath them. A vast field stood opposite the main hall – some were playing, some were having a picnic, and some merely relaxing. A little farther east was a lake, and it was weird that only a few students are near it or _in_ it, seeing that the water was so clear and inviting.

Merlin craved for the break times.

She took a mental note of securing a tree somewhere near the lake, already imagining relaxing days ahead.

The whole day was a whirlwind of orientations, and Merlin was getting excited for her remaining days in this university. As a History Major, she took several history classes – Asian History, World History, World Wars, Civilizations, and the likes. But one subject caught her attention, Medieval History. Their professor for that class was unable to meet with them due to some errands, and was told to meet him the following day.

Her bodyguards also took up History just for the sake of being around her at all times. She doubted it interested all of them, especially Elyan who had took it upon himself to doze off all throughout the day. Arthur had berated him, telling him he must be awake at all times, and Elyan sheepishly defended that he had always, _always_ hated history.

Gwaine and Arthur surprisingly showed an interest in the subject that could match hers. Arthur was attentively taking down notes in all of the orientations, and Gwaine dropped his laidback attitude just to _listen_. Merlin took note that if she were to shut up Gwaine, it would be to talk about anything historical.

Percival was having a hard time, whilst Leon jokingly whispers to the Princess that the buff man was not exactly the brightest bulb in their lot. Lancelot, well, Merlin figured he was intelligent. The way he explained the importance of the rivers in civilizations was enlightening and he took a different perspective, much to their professor’s surprise.

All in all, the day was a blast, although not exactly that eventful. The excitement of the first day was slowly waning, and some teachers even spoiled the moment by giving their first assignments for the semester. Nonetheless, Merlin was happy how this day ended.

* * *

Merlin stretched her arms above, satisfied with how her essay turned out. Professor Marie Luther already asked for them to write a 1000 word essay about their notion of the word ‘History’. She had been typing on her laptop for hours, unable to come up with the right words to input.

Turning her neck around, she smiled as Gwen fell asleep on their coffee table. Beside her was one of her classmates, Freya Glendower, sprawled on the carpeted floor. Freya was introduced to the Princess as another Biology student, but majoring in Marine Biology. The two were already slaving over a hundred-item quiz about the different phyla under the Kingdom Animalia and truthfully, Merlin pitied them. She had never been that good in memorizing scientific stuff, hence the History Major.

The Princess checked her alarm clock, which blared the numbers 11:05. She still had some time to kill before the lockdown at midnight. Pondering, she slowly stood up and grabbed her nearest cardigan, pulling it over her nightgown. She just hoped she would not encounter any stray students in the school grounds.

She tiptoed out of the room, only to be greeted by a slumbering, open-mouthed Gwaine. Amusedly, she made sure that no one was around, before she conjured a pillow out of thin air to make her bodyguard comfortable. She could already hear the berating that Arthur would give Gwaine if he discovered that he was sleeping on his post.

Merlin’s eyes darted towards the next rooms, housing her bodyguards, before she made a mad dash into the school grounds.

The Princess took in a deep breath, celebrating her momentary feat of freedom, and allowed a few laughs escape from her mouth. The field was void of any students, much to her relief.

She then jogged towards the shining lake, as if it was beckoning her to come closer. She stopped under a great oak tree, just beside the lake, and surveyed it for a moment. Merlin briefly sat down, rested her back against the oak’s trunk, and closed her eyes.

Surprisingly, she found the tree that she wanted.

Merlin stayed in that position for a moment, before standing up and sauntering towards the lake. It was strangely tumultuous tonight, but still exuded a calming effect. Merlin bent down a little to let her fingers skim its waters, and for a moment, she thought she felt something _tingling_.

“Don’t you think it is late at night for you to roam around, Princess?”

The Princess gasped in surprise and her back went ramrod straight. Her blue eyes briefly turned gold, readying herself for defense, but the gold simmered away upon seeing the intruder.

Arthur Pendragon stood across, his usually immaculate blond hair now swept messily by the night breeze. He was wearing simple shorts and a white t-shirt, seemingly getting ready for bed too. His face was devoid of any emotions, and Merlin wondered if he too would berate her for not following orders. Merlin, a little defiant, lifted her chin, daring him to utter scoldings to the Princess.

To her surprise, Arthur strolled past her and stood on the lake shore, his back against her. His eyes were gazing the tumultuous lake and Merlin, _well_ , she was at loss of what to do.

“They say this is the Lake of Avalon,” Arthur murmured, stopping Merlin in her tracks when she decided to retreat in her room in the end. She looked at the back of her bodyguard, whose eyes were still firmly glued on the waters. “The lake that witnessed a lot in history from way, way back. The lake that withheld such powers. Students sometimes say that this lake gives off weird… err… vibes and, well, it is avoided most of the time.”

For a moment, Arthur was silent, before he turned his head to look Merlin straight in the eye. His blue eyes were wide with wonder and… was that hope? Merlin was not sure, for questions still raced in her mind. Why was he familiar? Did she see him before? Looking at him now, Merlin somehow got a gist that Arthur knew something that she did not, and the desire for her questions to be answered grew.

“You must retire to bed, your highness,” he said, breaking the spell of the moment. And Merlin, too dazed, merely nodded her head and followed him back to her quarters. 


	3. Professor Gaius Leech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Gaius and his perpetually raised eyebrows.

It seemed like their little encounter in the Lake of Avalon never happened, and it frustrated Merlin so much. All throughout the day, she kept on shooting questioning looks towards Arthur Pendragon, but her bodyguard seemed to effortlessly dodge them. Soon her looks turned into glares and still, he wouldn’t _budge_.

During lunch time, the Headmaster surprised her by announcing that they prepared a small welcoming meal for the princess in one of the greenhouses in the school. She was welcome to invite her bodyguards and Merlin thanked Headmaster Stronghold. She thought that they would not do anything extreme to welcome her yesterday, much to her relief, but then again, she had thought too early.

Sighing, she strolled towards the designated greenhouse together with her bodyguards. Inside, as expected, were different plants and flowers of names Merlin did not know. She had never been a fan of gardening back home, and although she was forced to at least do some flower arranging, she still was unfamiliar with the flowers and plants that came her way.

It was surprisingly beautiful, and the fragrant smell of the roses reached her nose. At the middle of the garden was a table set with different meals and delicacies. Merlin was able to pinpoint some of her maids back home and she couldn’t help but give them a wave in greeting. Her maids were once her playmates on days when she was bored, and she had grown to care for them.

Merlin was directed at the head of the table, with Arthur at her left, and Leon at her right. The others followed suit, and the welcoming feast commenced. Headmaster Stronghold was supposed to accompany them, but an emergency failed him to do so, much to Merlin’s relief. She’d rather not have some nice, meaningless small talk with the old man.

“I love my perks,” Gwaine proclaimed, his arms wide, and started to dig in. Merlin hid a smile as some of her maids shot the boisterous bodyguard disapproving looks.

“It’s all right, Hannah,” Merlin told one of her oldest maids. “Let him be.”

Hannah reluctantly looked back at Gwaine, before curtsying at Merlin. “If you say so, your highness.”

The whole meal was not exactly eventful, with Merlin finding that opportunity to get to know her gang of bodyguards better.

Leon was the first one to be reinstated as bodyguard among the group, even earlier than Arthur, and was somehow regarded as the senior of the group.

Gwaine used to have this rebellious phase in his life, defying his family’s order for him to be a bodyguard to the House of Emrys, and partying for a few years around. That was, until Arthur came into the picture and pulled him to where he was right now.

Percival was, as what she observed before, not exactly the brightest of them lot, and struggled to fulfil his family’s wishes to be a bodyguard. It was because of Arthur’s help why he became one anyway.

Elyan had once been captured by terrorists of their country, together with other important soldiers of England, after undergoing a mission to bust the spies. He could have died in the mission, but was saved. Merlin vaguely remembered this situation in the past, and had thought that it was one of the darkest times in their country.

Lancelot’s story was different, because his family had not served the royals before. There was a rule in the kingdom that special positions, such as the bodyguard of the Crown Princess of England, can only be filled in by a descendant of a notable family that had always served under the House of Emrys. It was only because of Arthur’s insistence and recognition of his ability and dedication that he became a bodyguard.

And Arthur, well, he was appointed as the Head Bodyguard to the Crown Princess of England because of two reasons – first, his family was the oldest, most trusted one by the King and second, he was just too damn good with a gun.

“You should have seen him during target practices,” Lancelot told her, jutting his thumb at the Head Bodyguard. “Bull’s eye, that’s what he does.”

Merlin looked at him in contemplation, as Arthur started to engage Elyan in a conversation. Who knew this weirdo have the best abilities among the group? Well, Merlin should have known especially because he was her appointed Head Bodyguard. But still! And he seemed like he was really close with the others. No one really voiced it out, but they all seemed to hold a certain unwavering respect for their leader.

The princess became more and more intrigued of this Arthur Pendragon. _‘One day,’_ she promised to herself. _‘One day, I will know what secrets you withhold from me.’_

* * *

Merlin strolled into the classroom of Medieval History with anticipation. Finally, she would be able to meet the professor and learn a lot from this fascinating subject. She just hoped that the teacher would do justice to the vastness of the topic.

As she seated herself, somewhere at the middle of the room, Arthur took the left and Leon the right. Gwaine sat at the back, together with Elyan and Percival. Lancelot, on the other hand, chose to sit beside Arthur.

The teacher was still late, and Merlin took that opportunity to scan the room. It was an ordinary classroom, with white walls, an air conditioner, and a whiteboard in front. A projector was attached at a mount on the ceiling, beside a few ceiling fans. They seemed to be the only students in the room, except for one or two others. It was a relief; she’d rather not be stared at for a whole one hour and thirty minutes by awed strangers.

The door opened and two more students came inside.

“Gwen!” was Merlin’s surprised greeting, as her roommate strolled towards the chair in front of the princess. Freya was in tow, who gave the princess a smile. “What are you doing here? You’re both biology students.”

Guinevere laughed, craning her neck to look at Merlin. “This interests us both, you know,” she explained. “A little break from those science mumbo jumbo.”

“ _Actually_ ,” Freya piped in, “Gwen meant that we were late in passing our proposed schedule. Limited slots were left and we had no choice but to get this subject if we do not want to underload this semester.”

Gwen shrugged. “Same thing,” she nonchalantly said. She waved her hand at her brother, who playfully rolled his eyes. Merlin grinned. She always wanted to have a brother.

Since the teacher was still not there, Gwen, introduced Freya to the other bodyguards. They knew Gwen, of course, since she was the sister of Elyan. Merlin might have imagined it a little, but Gwen was _extra friendly_ with Lancelot.

All conversations were cut once the door opened, and this time, the same old man that greeted Merlin back on her first day in the university strolled in. Once again, his long, grey hair was left hanging down his head. His perpetually lifted rigjt eyebrow seemed like he was _judging_ them. He was wearing an odd suit, with a bowtie that did not even match his get up. If Madame Margeaux was here, she would have harrumphed at his bad taste of fashion.

“Good morning, class,” he said. He arranged his old books on his desk before grabbing a whiteboard marker. He wrote on the board, which turned out as his name. The black letters stood strikingly in contrast with the whiteness of the board, spelled as ‘Professor Gaius Leech’.

“I am Professor Gaius Leech, and welcome to Medieval History 101,” he said, looking at his students. “I also work as a part-time doctor in the school’s infirmary.”

He paused, scrutinizing his class. Merlin’s heart thumped loudly in anticipation, having been looking forward to this class. For some strange reason, she already has this certain fondness and familiarity to this professor, and she hoped to have a wonderful semester under his teaching. She paused, mentally rolling her eyes, as she was hit once more with this sudden familiarity.

“All right, let us start,” he said, bringing his hands together. “For our first exercise, give the first word or phrases that comes into your mind that you can associate with the word ‘medieval’.” He pointed at Freya and hastily said “Go”.

“Umm… tunics and breeches,” were the words that came out from Freya, and Gaius gave a satisfied nod.

Gaius kept on pointing and pointing, with the students instantly coming up with words that they could muster. Some have funny answers like Gwaine’s ‘smelly toilets’ or answers like ‘chivalry’ from Lancelot and ‘Black Plague’ from Leon. Once the Professor Leech’s finger was pointed at her, the first thing that Merlin said was ‘Anglo-Saxon’.

Lastly, his finger landed on Arthur, and her personal bodyguard calmly stated, “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.”

Behind her, Gwaine snorted and said, loud enough for only Merlin to hear, “Now, now, I know your name is pretty.” This made Merlin smile.

The professor scrutinized Arthur for a while, the student holding his gaze steadily, before Professor Leech nodded his head in approval. For a moment, he looked at Merlin and she was surprised at his gaze, feeling slightly uncomfortable because for the _nth time_ , it was like she once again did not know something.

He then broke of his gaze and looked at his class. “Very well,” he said, “I am pleased to know that you at least have an idea of what the Medieval Times held. For this class, we will focus on a few topics, which some of you had stated a while ago.”

He grabbed the whiteboard marker once more and wrote three numbers. On the first number, he wrote ‘lifestyle’. “We will be discussing how the people during the medieval period, or aptly middle ages, had lived and its comparison to our lives now in the 21st century.” On the second number, he wrote ‘health and economy’. “Next, we will also be discussing about the rise and fall of the economy during this time, and how certain diseases, especially the Great Plague, had impacted their lives before.” On the last number, he finally wrote ‘folklore and literature’. “Lastly, we will be discussing about the famous works of this time.” – he briefly looked at Arthur – “As what Mister Pendragon here have said, one of the most famous legend that has ever been written is the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I am quite sure you have heard about him and most of his adventures.”

Most of the students nodded in answer.

Professor Leech paused and thoughtfully looked at the whiteboard. Merlin looked at him amusedly as he erased the numbers and rearranged them until he was satisfied. Now, folklore and literature was their first topic, followed by health and economy, and finally lifestyle.

“We’ll start with something more interesting,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he faced his students once more. “For our next meeting, I would like you to pass a two-page essay about King Arthur’s life and adventures.” He paused, allowing a collective groan from the classroom. “Be sure to include some of the important characters revolving around this famous king, and the speculations about the truthfulness of this so-called myth.”

“Professor!” Gwaine exclaimed, bordering whiny, as he raised his hand. “Isn’t it _evil_ to give us an assignment already on our first meeting?”

Elyan playfully shoved Gwaine to shut him up. Merlin couldn’t help but to crane her neck and stare at her bodyguard in amusement. He really was _audacious_ , that much she understood. Princess Merlin wondered how he could work under her in the near future.

Professor Leech merely chuckled at his statement. “I’ve seen evil my whole life, young man,” he lightly admonished, although the twinkle in his eyes never left. “And I assure you homeworks are nowhere near _evil_.”

“He’s off his rocker,” Leon whispered to the princess, prompting her to smirk. “I heard some of the students talking about him when it was announced he would be our teacher for this subject.”

The princess shushed him, but could not help but to smile at her professor. She watched as he absentmindedly gathered his books and hugged them against his chest. “To compensate for my _evil_ , as Mister Lotson here graciously pointed out” – Gwaine made a face – “I will dismiss this class earlier.”

A chorus of cheers erupted in the classroom.

The professor smiled as his eyes swept all through the room. “It is all a pleasure to see you. Class is dismissed.”

The sound of scrapping chairs resounded in the small classroom and Merlin, with bodyguards in tow, excitedly walked out of the classroom, anticipating her research for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.


	4. The Legend of King Arthur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Merlin contemplates about destinies.

_‘The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table,’_ she silently read, her eyes constantly following the words on the book. _‘It is one of the most baffling stories in the world, for many speculations point out that the legends were true, while skeptics laid down claimed facts that they were, in fact, merely myths and Arthur as a hero of a fictional story.’_

Giggling echoed in the library, but the princess forced herself to continue reading.

_‘Whether true or not, Arthur was regarded as an epitome of lightness in the dark, of how good always conquered evil, and the never-ending struggling between these two forces on earth.’_

More giggles and Merlin gave a quick, scathing glare at the bumbling teenagers on the table across from hers and her bodyguard. _‘Oh honestly,’_ she thought in dismay, closing her book a tad forcefully. A week had not yet passed, and she should have expected that the news that she was in the school would have spread by now. And although she was the star in this little band of hers, it was her _bodyguards_ that have attracted too much ruckus, much to her dismay. Apparently, the students, specifically the female body of the university, deemed the boys as good-looking and had been fawning over them ever since.

Merlin caught Gwaine sending a wink at one of the student. She rolled her eyes – Gwaine was _especially_ accepting with their newfound popularity.

“Grab whatever book you need and we will leave, for heaven’s sake,” the exasperated Princess ordered. She curtly stood up from her seat, sent another cold stare from the noisy group, before turning on her heels, expecting her bodyguards to follow her quickly. In doing so, her eyes briefly landed onto Arthur’s form and she swore she saw him smile.

* * *

They reached her favourite oak tree and Merlin daintily sat down, breathing in the fresh air. “Peace and quiet,” she proclaimed, as her bodyguards followed suit, some of them chuckling in amusement. “You should all be lucky you are my bodyguards,” she told them. “I would have ditched you by now.”

“Come now, princess,” Elyan cajoled. “You will be stuck with us forever.”

Gwaine showed some mock hurt. “Elyan, my man,” he said. “There is no forever.”

Arthur rolled his eyes at their ridiculousness. “Quit it, you two,” he berated. “Why don’t we all just peacefully finish our essays?”

Gwaine readily jumped up from his seat and made a flourished bow towards Arthur. “If you say so, _King Arthur_ ,” he mocked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Merlin observed as her Head Bodyguard merely raised an eyebrow, looking more amused rather than irate, as what she would have expected. Arthur looked at her briefly, and she narrowed her eyes as he smirked, now looking down at his book.

 _‘What is with him?’_ she screamed internally, itching to ask him questions and relentlessly proceed to until he finally cracked and spilled all those answers that she demanded.

The princess closed her eyes and took a deep sigh. She wasn’t that close with Arthur _yet_. If she were to know answers from him, maybe she should earn his trust first. She had his loyalty, of course, having pledged to protect her as the Head Bodyguard. But trust from him would be a different story.

She decided to distract herself and first focus on the essay given to them by Professor Gaius. It was due tomorrow, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was somehow procrastinating. She was never really good in having an effective time table. She could remember Madame Margeaux shrilly yammering to her about the importance of a good time management and its application to being the future Queen of the country, and Merlin did not really have the heart to take it all in.

 _‘Oh mother will be so disappointed,’_ she thought, frowning as she picked her book once again and went back to her research.

Familiar names danced before her eyes – Guinevere and Lancelot, but she could not exactly point how exactly it was _familiar_. It was as if her mind would be clouded with confusion, and Merlin would continue reading anyway.

“Check this out,” Leon called out. “ ‘The Knights of the Round Table were men of courage, honor, dignity, courtesy, and nobleness. They protected ladies and damsels, honored and fought for kings and queens, and undertook dangerous quests.’ I’m sure Leech would be pleased to see these stuff in our essays.”

Merlin nodded her head in agreement and paraphrased some of what Leon said. The book she held merely talked about the significance of the knights, and suggested some possible names that were part of it.

Her bodyguards continued to exchange some passages from their books, and Merlin noted some of those phrases that struck her.

“I’ve heard a few things about King Arthur in my childhood, yes, but I didn’t know he’s this influential,” Percival said after recounting some of his victories and his involvement with the Holy Grail. Merlin smiled and couldn’t help but agree with him, especially because as a young girl, the Arthurian legends were her most favourite bedtime stories. Her father would say a lot of things about Arthur’s adventures, and his faithful sidekick Merlin, and then the young Princess would dream of glorious victories and fighting princes. Sometimes, she thought, those dreams seemed so vivid it felt like she was actually _inside_ Camelot.

Which was ridiculous, of course.

She soon came into a passage that concerned Merlin, the ambiguous, magnanimous wizard that had aided in King Arthur’s reign. Her stomach made an odd backflip as the book told her amazing stories about her namesake.

 _‘Merlin is King Arthur’s Court Magician and Adviser, constantly aiding the king during times of dire need,’_ she continued to read. _‘At times of peace, he was the king’s companion and the two have been associated with each other in different accounts about Camelot.’_

Merlin never really gave some thought about the fact that her name was the same as the legendary warlock. It was not a big deal to her, except for maybe it being a boy’s name rather than a girl’s. But there were moments of quiet contemplation, at nights when she could not sleep, when she would remember her mother’s story of how she was christened by that name given by a strange, old man in her mother’s dreams. There were times when she would feel inexplicable pride of bearing the name ‘Merlin’, and would sometimes pretend that she was in quests like the bedtime stories her father told her.

She quickly gazed at her hands, having had done different kinds of magic in the past. Her parents forbade her to show it to anyone, even to her closest maids, and she was forced to keep it a secret. There were times when she would sneak out just to practice. She did not exactly have any knowledge on how to harness that power she had within, and the books in her vast library were no help at all.

Reading the passages about Warlock Merlin’s great powers and wisdom made her a little envious, for he could practice his magic freely while she was, begrudgingly, forced to keep it to herself. She wondered what great things she could have done to her kingdom if she were to introduce her magic to the people.

Sighing,  Merlin went back to reading. _‘Books and historians spoke greatly of Arthur and Merlin’s intertwined destinies, so intricate and powerful, that no one really understood this peculiar relationship between the king and his adviser,’_ the book continued to narrate. _‘It is said that neither Merlin nor Arthur could escape this destiny. Arthur, as The Once and Future King, is said to rise again once Albion direly needs his help. Speculations arise in different history books that when Arthur is called to rise, Merlin will follow, his destiny with Arthur calling him to do so.’_

Merlin paused reading to write what she had read and said some of her opinion. Will the Once and Future King rise once again? Had he risen before? These questions raced in her head and she wrote them down, hoping that Professor Leech would somehow comment and answer some of her questions.

The bell tower dinged,  signalling noon. Merlin and her bodyguards started to pack and soon went back inside.

* * *

They turned in their homework on the next meeting of Medieval History 101. Professor Gaius quietly stacked the papers on his hands, before placing them inside his old, tattered briefcase.

“I trust you have learned a lot about King Arthur and his trusted knights, yes?” he asked, his eyes sweeping throughout the classroom. Collective murmurs of agreement reached his ears, and he nodded his head in satisfaction.

“I am quite sure you came across passages that spoke of the unwavering bond between Arthur and Merlin,” he continued. The professor’s eyes seemed to land briefly on Merlin, and the princess grew a little uncomfortable under his gaze. “Books spoke of Arthur’s importance as the Once and Future King. Do you recall anything from the books you read about him being the so-called ‘Once and Future King’?”

It was Freya who raised her hand, and Professor Leech called her.

“I have read in books that as the Once and Future King of Albion,” she started, her voice resounding in the whole room, “King Arthur will rise again if his land is in danger, sir.”

“Correct,” he said, nodding his head. “Historians believed that King Arthur might have reincarnations of him in the past, connected with any difficult situations faced by Albion, or more aptly called now as _England_. The world wars, plagues and epidemics… tales and stories were recounted about how this Once and Future King will rise, one way or another, just to help his beloved land.”

Gwaine’s hand shot up in the air, question in his eyes. “But sir,” he reasoned, “these are _merely_ speculations. There are still conflicts nowadays whether King Arthur is merely a legend or really true.”

Gaius gave a small smile, eyes twinkling with a secret that he only possessed. Merlin frowned, shooting a quick glance at Arthur. She had seen that look before.

“Indeed,” he said, walking back to his desk to sit. “There are no exact books that would prove if the Arthurian legends are true. Famous books such as _Le Morte D’Arthur_ are works of fiction by writers whom have shown interest in the life of King Arthur. I am sure all of you have mixed opinions of the truth of the king’s life.”

Merlin, unable to help herself, found her right hand raised in the air. The professor nodded his head at her in acknowledgement. “Sir,” she started, “are there works that suggested that the Arthurian legends are true?”

Professor Leech laced his hands together and intently looked at Merlin. “Interesting question,” he claimed, “but I am afraid I cannot present such credible facts. King Arthur’s story is a collection of stories, of different authors, of different times. And they all vary by an addition or subtraction of themes. For example, when this story is introduced to France, they romanticized and spiritualized his story, therefore adding the famous Holy Grail.”

He paused for a bit, allowing his students to jot down some of the important words he said.

“In fact,” he continued, “there were kings of the past who regarded Arthur as a hero. When Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509, he commissioned the Winchester Round Table of Edward III to be repainted, with himself depicted at the top as a latter-day Arthur, a Christian emperor and head of the British Empire.”

“The Arthurain legends greatly revolve around King Arthur, yes, but there were notable characters presented in the stories, too,” he spoke. “And I am sure, you have come upon the name Merlin.”

Merlin caught Leon’s gaze, and her bodyguard wiggled his eyebrows. The princess rolled her eyes. _‘Here it comes,’_ she thought, knowing people would now associate her with the legendary warlock.

“Who can tell me anything about Merlin?” Professor Leech asked.

This time, it was Arthur who surprisingly raised his hand.

“Yes, Mister Pendragon,” Professor Leech said.

“He is the Court Warlock and Adviser to King Arthur, sir,” he replied.

Professor Leech nodded his head. “If there is one thing more ambiguous than Arthur in the legends, it is the famous Merlin himself,” he said. “With his magic in hand, he is believed to be the true force behind the throne. Without him, Arthur will not be king, and there will be no unification of Albion.”

“He comes in different names – Myrridin, Gwydion, Ambrose… but all points out to Merlin,” he continued, his elbows now leaning on his desk. “His story is said to be embellished into fanciful romances of old, but some historians think that there would have been a historical basis for Merlin’s character.”

“Books described him as the old, fatherly figure to Arthur,” he said. “Some as a youthful teen, acting as the king’s manservant even before his coronation. But undoubtedly, Merlin had been an important figure in bringing peace and unity in the land of Albion.”

The school bell had rang, and Professor Gaius paused in his lecture. “That is it for now,” he proclaimed. “Next week, we will continue delving into the life of Arthur and the characters revolving around him. For now, the assignment I wish to give is for you to read in advance about Guinevere and Lancelot, and the Holy Grail. You are dismissed.”

Chairs scraped as the students excitedly packed their things in hope of getting first in line in the cafeteria. As Merlin packed her things, also ready to join in the crowd, Professor Leech called for her attention.

“Yes, sir?” she asked, in question. All of her bodyguards were already waiting for her in the door.

“May I have a word?” he asked, his eyes now seeking approval from Arthur.

Merlin also looked at her Head Bodyguard, who slowly nodded his head.

“I will be waiting outside,” he said, now ushering her other bodyguards behind.

Professor Gaius waited until all of his students left, leaving the princess behind. Merlin uncertainly strolled closer to the desk, and awkwardly waited for her professor to speak.

“How have you been, your majesty?” he asked, gesturing for Merlin to sit on one of the chairs, which she obliged. “Headmaster Stronghold hopes that you are having a pleasant stay in our university.”

Merlin lifted her chin in suspicion. She was sure the professor wanted to ask her something else entirely. “I am quite well, sir,” she answered in the end. “The facilities in this university are magnificent.”

Internally, she pushed the button for regal-like on.

Her mother and Madame Margeaux trained her on how to deal with others during small talks. At times like these, she should still exude command and respect.

The professor seemed taken aback with her sudden change in attitude. To Merlin’s surprise, he slightly smiled. “I can say that you are interested in my subject,” he continued.

She merely nodded her head.

Professor Leech paused for a few minutes, before lacing his fingers together once more, placing his chin on top, and leaning his elbow against the elbow. “Do you believe in destinies, Princess Merlin?” he finally asked.

This time, it was her who was taken aback by his odd question. Unsure of what to say, Merlin slowly nodded her head. “I… guess so?” she said, scratching her chin absentmindedly. “I’ve never really thought about it that much I think… yes, maybe yes, I believe in destinies, Professor Leech.”

Her professor nodded his head in satisfaction. “I am quite sure you came across passages that stated Arthur and Merlin’s intertwined destinies.” He paused, allowing Merlin to voice out her agreement. “Destiny is the loudest, most powerful call a person can hear. One cannot defy its call, for it is decided by our very earth, and no mortal and magical” – he pointedly looked at her – “can do anything about it.”

Merlin remembered a similar discussion with her father, as he finally told her of her destiny to become the Queen of their land.

She pursed her lip for a moment, deep in thought. “I am aware of that, sir,” she answered. “But forgive me, for I do not exactly understand why you are telling me this, professor.”

Gaius merely smiled and leaned a little closer. “One day, Merlin Emrys, you will understand,” he said.

For a moment, Merlin questioningly looked at him, edging for him to elaborate on what he had said. _‘What does he mean I will understand one day?’_ she asked, frowning a bit at his lack of explanation. Before she could even voice out her confusion, Professor Gaius already dismissed her for the day.

The princess was in conflict whether to stay and demand for answers, or just leave and follow his orders. Seeing that he seemed ready to go, Merlin softly sighed, stood up and bid her professor farewell.

 _‘What a strange man,’_ she thought, as she walked out of the classroom’s door.

True to what he promised, Head Bodyguard Arthur was still waiting for her outside the classroom. She figured that her other bodyguards left to save them a seat in the cafeteria. But Merlin, strangely, did not feel like eating lunch today.

“I’d like to go back to my room for now,” she said.

Arthur merely nodded his head, and she was thankful he never asked an explanation for such a request.

Their journey back to the dormitories was a silent one, and Merlin kept on replaying her conversation with Professor Leech inside her head. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that the professor knew _something_ she should know, but she didn’t know how to discover it without sounding rude, demanding, or even hysterical.

 _‘Why destinies, of all questions?’_ she asked herself, trying to rack her brain for any possible explanation to her professor’s strange behaviour. She hated being left in the dark, while she was positively sure her professor held so much more answers than what he gives. He was like Arthur, and come to think of it, both her bodyguard and professor were very strange, too.

Shooting a quick glance at Arthur, the question rolled off her mouth before she could even stop herself. “Do you believe in destinies, Arthur?” she asked, prompting him to widen his eyes. Her cheeks grew red when he looked at her, his eyes deep and contemplating and very much mesmerizing.

For a moment, emotions rose up from Arthur’s eyes – amazement, happiness… _hope_. Merlin took a step back in surprise, overwhelmed at how much emotions he showed her today as opposed to his lack thereof ever since they have met back in the castle.

“Perhaps,” he said vaguely, a corner of his lips lifting up in amazement. “Maybe I do.”

And then, he resumed walking, and Merlin had no choice but to follow.

They went back to a silent journey, and this time, Merlin was shooting Arthur suspicious looks. _‘How infuriating,’_ she thought, closing her hands into tight fists. She found this gesture, although unregal, calming. She directed her anger at her hands, which hummed with suppressed power, and Merlin would give up anything she had right now just to blast a door in frustration.

She had considerably calmed down upon reaching her room. She could not hear any classical music blasting from inside the room, figuring that Gwen might still be in the cafeteria for lunch or slaving over another long quiz they had for one of her majors. It was a relief, for she would have want to be alone for now, lost in her thoughts about Gaius, Arthur, and stupid destinies.

“Good day, your majesty,” Arthur said, as Merlin grabbed for her door. She merely nodded her head at him in acknowledgement. “Before lunch ends, I will send one of the bodyguards to escort you to your next class.”

“Yes, thank you,” she hastily said, cringing internally at how cold her words came out. Her frustration just fuelled a lot more when Arthur merely gave her a surprised, small smirk.

As she gradually closed her door, her eyes never left Arthur’s, and something shifted in them. He looked _oh_ so familiar as more and more days passed by and she couldn’t put a possible reason to his strange behaviour and familiarity.

Once she finally closed the door, Merlin couldn’t shake off the feeling that Arthur knew _something_ that she should know, too.


	5. Trolling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A troll. In the school forest. Princess Merlin is very, very confused.

Days flew by and nothing out of the ordinary happened in the University of Avalon. Merlin welcomed the strange normality in the school. Back in the castle, things were rarely ordinary for her, being swept away in a whirlwind of dancing and socializing and really, just being all princess-y.

Feeling a little adventurous, she propped both of her feet on a nearby chair and relaxed, blocking her ears from a possible shrill berating from a memory of Madame Margeaux. She enjoyed the freedom that she had right now, and she embraced it with too much enjoyment.

“Good day, eh?” Gwen asked, as she walked inside their room, Freya following in tow. The latter now sported her usual odd, round-shaped spectacles to aid her weakening eyesight.

“You’re back early,” she said. “Hello, Freya.” She shot a warm smile towards the future marine biologist. Merlin easily became comfortable around Gwen’s friend, and she could feel that Freya felt the same way too.

“Your highness,” she said, giving a half-mocked, half-respectful curtsy.

Gwen plopped down on one of their couches, with Freya choosing to claim her usual place – at the foot of the coffee table atop their carpeted floor. They both started pulling out their huge tomes and some yellow pad paper. “Microbiology is starting to become a pain in the arse,” Gwen commented, harrumphing as she glared at the scribbled bacteria on her notebook.

Freya gladly nodded her head with much enthusiasm. “I mean, every time we are dismissed from our laboratory sessions, I _swear_ I’ll contract some of those awful bacteria in my system.” She shivered a little to give the much-needed effect.

“Now, now,” Merlin said, now sitting primly and properly. “Proper ladies do not complain. They accept trying times whole-heartedly and face them with bravery.”

Both Gwen and Freya simultaneously rolled their eyes at Merlin, who dropped her princessly attitude. “Yeah, right, princess,” Gwen shot back, unable to hold back a smile.

Merlin mirrored the smile and opened her arms to give the two of them a hug. She had grown quite fond of her roommate and Freya, already considering them as one of her closest friends. She never really had any ‘girl friends’ back in the castle; the closest were her maids. She was under the constant observation of her parents and teachers, that sometimes, she honestly forgot how to _really_ trust somebody, title aside.

“This too shall pass,” Merlin said, echoing her father’s words on days when he could see that his daughter was having a hard time. “I am sure you’ll both get by, trust me.”

“Easy for you to say,” Freya grumpily said, as Merlin now pulled away from the two of them. “You have interesting classes! I should have taken History. Biology makes me feel like I’m not capable enough of taking in those useless facts.”

“Well, at least you’re taking Medieval History 101 with me!” the princess claimed, trying to cheer them up.

Gwen gave a nod of approval. “So far… by far, I think it is a favorite subject of mine,” she said. “Although” – she paused, shivering dramatically – “Leech gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah!” Freya joined in, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Sometimes, I think, when he looks at us, he knew _something_ we do not know.”

Merlin’s eyes widened. “You feel that too!” she claimed, relieved that she was not the only one.

“Well, yeah,” Gwen said, nodding her head. “But every time I try to rack my brain, searching for a possible explanation, my head just gets all…”

“Fogged up?” Freya offered.

“Exactly!” Merlin exclaimed, nodding vigorously. “Sometimes, I wonder if there’s this perpetual fog in my brain, disallowing me from finding the right answers to my questions.”

For a moment, the whole room grew quiet from their mutual realizations. Merlin frowned, deep in thought, once again trying to get an answer as to why they all felt that way. And of course, as usual, she could not come up with a decent answer.

Gwen sighed, breaking the silence. “Anyway,” she said, “enough of creepy Leech. Freya and I must study for a long quiz once more.”

Upon hearing her name, Freya groaned in annoyance. “Don’t be such a grade conscious, Guinevere,” she said, but there was no denying that she was true.

Merlin’s roommate rolled her eyes at Freya’s melodrama.

The princess gave the girls apologetic smiles, feeling useless to help them. “Would you like some tea and crumpets?” she asked, smiling as their faces lightened up. “My parents sent me too much, and my bodyguards do not really like tea, oh imagine my _horror_. I mean seriously, who does not like tea? _Seriously_.”

Gwen and Freya pointedly looked at Merlin, and the princess grew sheepish. “Right, I apologize,” she said. “I will tell my maids to bring you some for your study session.”

"You’re a lifesaver,” Gwen said, standing up to give her a hug. “I’m glad I am roommates with the princess.”

Merlin laughed and patted her back. “You’re welcome,” she said.

* * *

“Today, we are all gathered here, as my way to show gratitude,” Princess Merlin said, raising her glass. For a while, she glared at Gwaine, who chuckled from his seat. Her bodyguard pursed his lips and sat ramrod straight, nodding his head as if he was listening intently to her words. Unable to help herself, Merlin broke into a huge smile and gazed at her bodyguards with warmth. “Roles aside, really _thank you_. Things here in the university will not be the same if you lot are not my chosen bodyguards.”

She grabbed her wine glass and raised it in the air. “Cheers,” she said.

Her bodyguards followed suit and echoed her word.

Their university’s hell week finally ended, and Merlin thought it would be fitting to really end it in a celebration. She was amazed how her bodyguards still had some shifts on protecting and guarding her, even though projects, essays, researches, and exams piled up in their schedules. She had a hard time balancing her studies, and she could not even begin to imagine the dilemma her bodyguards faced.

Hence, she contacted her parents and asked for permission to throw a little celebration for them. King Balinor seemed pleased with her, commending her for showing gratitude to her future subjects. This made Merlin a little proud, especially since it came from her father himself. Queen Hunith gave her a short lecture about continuing to show decorum, even during celebrations. Merlin thought it was another boring lecture from her mother, but smiled in the end when Hunith voiced out her love for her and how much she missed her little princess. Merlin missed them both, too.

With the help from Headmaster Stronghold, the princess was able to reserve one of the expensive restaurants in a town just outside the university. “Do have fun, your majesty,” was his parting words, before Merlin broke the news of celebration to her bodyguards.

Merlin invited Gwen and Freya, too, for this celebration, much to their excitement. She could remember their prior conversation.

_“Oooh, Gwen will see Lance-a-lot,” Freya singsonged, making Elyan’s sister blush._

_“What?” Merlin asked in surprise, wide-eyed as Gwen smiled sheepishly. “Why did I not know this?” She showed mock hurt. “Gwen… I trusted you.”_

_“Oh quit it, you two,” Guinevere shot back, making both Freya and Merlin giggle. “Don’t be silly, this is nothing.”_

Now looking at Gwen, who was speaking shyly to Lancelot, Merlin doubted that it was _nothing_ at all. Merlin caught Freya’s knowing look, who wiggled both of her eyebrows, prompting the princess to laugh out loud. Freya was having a conversation with Elyan and Gwaine – partly to distract Gwen’s brother from the budding romance between his sister and best mate, and partly to flirt with Gwaine.

Her remaining bodyguards were playing a ridiculous game called ‘Cards Against Humanity’, and they were having a _blast_. Merlin could not really fathom as to why they were having fun insulting their grandmother’s or innocent girls.

Merlin chose to sit quietly and observe, instead of mingling with her bodyguards. Her maids and the waiters of the restaurant came in and out from the kitchen, bringing in delectable and best-selling food for them to eat.

 _‘I knew I should reserve the whole restaurant today,’_ she thought, breathing out a sigh of relief. She could already imagine looks thrown their way, whispers of confusion as to why their future Crown Princess was not acting all princess-y today. Away from prying eyes, together with her bodyguards and friends she grew considerably close with, Merlin allowed to drop her pretenses and titles behind and just be _Merlin_ for today.

“Having fun?”

Arthur sat down beside her, sipping quietly the expensive wine.

“Of course I am,” she shot back defensively. “Aren’t you?”

Her Head Bodyguard merely laughed, and also observed as Percival laughed unceasingly at the cards he got.

Merlin gave Arthur a sideway glance and frowned thoughtfully. Ever since she asked him about destinies and if he believed in them, her once stuck-up, quiet bodyguard seemed to suddenly relax in her presence as if he was _relieved_. Merlin was not sure if her question back then was the catalyst, but she was happy with this sudden change with Arthur.

He seemed to be more sociable with her now, even joking and joining in with her other bodyguards’ antics. She wondered if Arthur was really like that before, and her presence made him just a little bit reserved for their roles’ sake. But it seemed like he was unwinding, and he was becoming more _open_ to her.

 _‘What a strange person,’_ she thought, still not quite sure what to do with Arthur Pendragon.

Her bodyguard caught her gaze and he smiled, prompting her to frown more deeply.

“You’re weird,” she blurted, much to both of their surprise. Merlin’s cheeks colored, mentally berating herself for being talkative.

“Trust me,” Arthur said, his smile widening. “I’ve been called that before.”

* * *

It was already in the wee hours in the morning, and Merlin felt a little lightheaded already. She figured she might have too much of wine today and other drinks Gwaine had forced her to drink. _‘The audacity of that man,’_ she thought, shaking her head to clear her fogging up mind.

She could see that her bodyguards too were already intoxicated from their alcohol consumption. Freya and Gwen were already slumped down on one of the couches in the restaurant, sleeping away their tiredness.

Merlin called for Arthur, who too was not spared from tipsiness.

“I wish to leave,” Merlin murmured to him, already imagining her soft, warm bed.

 

Arthur’s glassy eyes blinked at her for a while, before nodding his head, and hollering to the others. Merlin cringed from his shout and gave him a glare, but Arthur was already busy going towards her to help her up and back to their rooms.

Merlin mustered any sobriety left in her system to thank the kind restaurant owners and waitresses, and even whispered to one of her maids not to report their apparent intoxication to her parents. Oh, how her mother would have her head for being so reckless and unregal.

Lancelot and Leon were the only sober people in the group. Lancelot carried Gwen daintily in his arms, and Leon with Freya. The boys were singing gibberish songs as they marched back into the school. Merlin, too tired, slumped a little to Arthur, who was assisting her, and closed her eyes for a while.

“Do not sleep yet, princess,” Arthur murmured, his alcohol-laced breath brushing against her cold cheeks. “We’re almost there.”

Once they arrived, her other bodyguards retired to their rooms. Lancelot and Leon went inside to place her slumbering roommate and Freya into their beds. Lancelot volunteered to take the first shift, but asked permission first to Arthur to let him change and prepare for the night.

Soon, it was only Merlin and Arthur who were left in front of her doors.

“Thank you, Arthur,” she slurred, leaning her head against his shoulder to give him a sloppy hug. “You were great today.”

Softly she giggled, still not lifting her head. “Oooh, if my parents can see me now, they will be so _mad_ , you should be scared,” she said, hiccupping afterwards. “ _‘Princesses should not consume too much alcohol. Princesses should only drink tea or water,’_ ” she shrilly proclaimed, mimicking a perfect Madame Margeaux, prompting Arthur to laugh.

“Then, this will be a little secret of ours, yes?” he softly said, lightly pulling Merlin away from him.

Merlin beamed and looked up at him, her blue eyes connecting with his own. And for a moment, she watched as any resolve in Arthur’s form left. Her eyes widened a little at his sudden vulnerability, and Merlin wondered what must he be keeping in him that caused him so much… _pain_. She frowned, as Arthur levelled his eyes with hers.

“ _Mer_ lin,” he murmured, and her heart jumped because it was the first time someone called her like that. The funny thing was, it sounded familiar. “You do realize you have very pretty, blue eyes?”

She stared at him. Her lightheadedness intensified, and she found herself at loss of what to do.

“Why can’t you remember me?” he then asked, his voice full of exasperation and despair and Merlin was confused. Arthur took a few, intimidating steps towards her, his eyes still oddly glazed due to alcohol, but there was an unreadable expression on his face.

“Who are you?” she blurted out, frustrated with all the feelings she had inside without getting any answers.

And for a moment, she thought Arthur was going to give her all the answers she needed - she _deserved_ , but their moment was broken once Lancelot went out of his room towards his usual post. Merlin gave Lancelot a glare, disliking him right now, and her bodyguard backpedaled, unsure of what to do.

“It’s all right, I was just about to leave,” Arthur explained, and Lancelot questioningly looked at the sudden hostile princess.

Merlin glared at Arthur this time, but she gave up in the end, knowing he would not crack once more. Sighing in defeat, she murmured a feeble goodnight, before turning on her heels and banging the door a tad louder.

* * *

Lancelot felt tired, but he knew it was proper to volunteer to guard the princess’ room for the night. The others seemed beat, and Leon had his turn last night, so he thought it was best to volunteer for now.

As he walked out of his room, he saw the princess and Arthur having a conversation. A fight, perhaps? He was not really sure, but he could feel the tension so thick he bet he could slice it with a sword, if he ever owned one.

He stopped in his tracks as he saw the frightening annoyance on Merlin’s face. He had never seen such a look on the princess’ face before, but at the same time, he had never seen such resignation on the Head Bodyguard’s face. Lancelot had always looked up at Arthur, even during their youth, especially when he defended Lancelot, saying he was worthy as a bodyguard to the House of Emrys. Ever since then, Lancelot thought he owed his life to him.

“It’s all right,” Arthur spoke, sensing his hesitation. “I was just about to leave.”

The princess this time directed her death glare to Arthur, and Lancelot praised him for not cracking under her gaze. If it were him on his place, he might have ran away by the now. _Girls_ will always baffle him.

Except Gwen.

Oh, sweet Gwen.

He was shaken off his thoughts as Princess Merlin curtly bid them good night, and slammed the door behind her. Lancelot cringed at the sound it made, before resuming his stroll towards his post.

“Did… something happen between you and the princess?” he slowly asked, uncertain if he must continue.

Arthur released a long, soft sigh before turning to Lancelot. “Never that mind,” he said, resuming back to his ‘leader mode’. Lancelot cringed once more. He and the other bodyguards always feared every time his ‘leader mode’ was switched on. Arthur could be a rightful, scary monster if he allowed himself to be. “Just make sure the princess is safe for the night.”

He then turned around and marched away from the rooms.

“But where are you going?” Lancelot called, confused as to why Arthur was not retreating to his room.

“I need some fresh air,” Arthur replied, not bothering to turn his head to look at him.

Lancelot frowned and plopped down on the seat in front of the princess’ room, crossing his arms in thought.

“All right,” he whispered, watching as Arthur finally disappeared from his line of sight.

* * *

Loud poundings on her door roused her up from her sleep, and Merlin hissed in pain as blinding headache greeted her in the morning.

“Shut the hell up,” Gwen murmured in her sleep, whilst Freya placed a pillow on top of her face.

Thank the gods it was a Saturday, or else they’d be scrambling around to get ready for school.

“Princess Merlin!” someone unmistakably shouted from the outside, and Merlin shot envious looks at the other girls. She wished it wasn’t her name being exclaimed, else, she would have slept the whole day into oblivion.

After making sure Gwen and Freya were still sound asleep, Merlin performed a quick sobering spell, before standing up on her two feet. There was still a remnant of the headache she had and she frowned, mentally noting that her magic skills were getting rusty and she must practice once more.

Upon opening the door, she was ready to berate whoever ruined her sleep, but when she saw a panicked, disheveled Gwaine, she knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” she asked in worry. Behind her, Gwen and Freya stirred from their sleep, awakening from the sound of her voice.

“It’s Arthur,” her bodyguard said. “He’s missing.”

* * *

Everybody gathered in her room as Merlin paced back and forth. Gwaine told her Arthur had not returned to their room last night, and he was also not answering his phone. Merlin glared at the air, internally thinking how irresponsible her Head Bodyguard was for making everybody worry. She made a mental note to berate him once they found him.

Lancelot suggested for them to alert the administration, but Merlin thought otherwise. “I do not think this will be received well by my parents,” was her simple answer, but it made perfect sense to her other bodyguards. If her parents discovered Arthur’s reckless behaviour, he might be stripped off from his position as the Head Bodyguard. And they did not want that at all. 

“All right,” the princess blurted out. All talks halted as she faced them, her back ramrod straight and mustering all the seriousness she could. It were times like these when she was called to be a leader, and fancifully, she thought of this as a little quest. This would be the perfect opportunity to practice her leadership.

 _‘Seriously, Merlin!’_ a voice inside her head berated, and she actually felt guilty. Arthur was missing, and that was all that mattered.

“Let us break into groups to search for Arthur,” she said. “If worse comes to worst, then we have no choice but to tell Headmaster Stronghold.”

“I do not mean to be rude, your highness,” Leon said, stepping forward. “But I think it is best if you stay here in your room while we search for Arthur. For all we know, this can still be a ploy to distract you. Perhaps the one who kidnapped Arthur is really after you.”

Leon made perfect sense, and Merlin allowed her shoulders to sag down. “Very well,” she said, giving all of her bodyguards a commandeering stare.

“I’m going to stay here to protect the princess,” Percival volunteered, earning a nod of approval from Leon.

“We’d like to help too!” Gwen claimed, with Freya nodding beside her. Leon grouped Gwen with Lancelot, and Freya with Gwaine while he was partnered with Elyan. 

Soon, the groups dispersed, hoping to find the missing bodyguard.

Once they left, Percival turned to the worried princess. “Don’t worry, Merlin,” he said, dropping her title to sound more sincere. “I’m sure they’re going to find Arthur.”

Merlin dejectedly nodded her head and waited until Percival went to the usual bodyguard post. _‘I’m sorry, Percy,’_ she claimed, performing a quick sleeping spell and catching the fallen bodyguard. “Oof,” she cried, realizing the bulky Percival was too heavy. Merlin performed a levitating spell and placed Percival on top of her bed.

Once he was positioned, Merlin took a run outside her room, knowing that she would not rest if she did not make sure that Arthur was all right.

* * *

Merlin tried a simple location charm, but seeing that her magic was still a little rusty, it was all futile. She managed to conjure a tracking spell, and it all lead to a small forest at the farther west from the university, deeply secluded from the other establishments. Her spell ended at the entrance of the forest, and she knew she had to merely follow her instincts in the end.

The forest was thick with mysterious magic that she could not fathom. Usually, the magic she was used to was light.

“ARTHUR!” she screamed, trying to locate any footsteps Arthur might have left. But all she could see were strange straight lines. She crouched down and examined it, concluding in the end that someone might have been dragged through this forest.

Beside the dragging prints were strange footprints of some animal, too big for a dog or even a wolf. Swallowing, Merlin now stood up and slowly followed the tracks.

“ARTHUR!” she cried once more.

She allowed silence to settle, save from the nature sounds of the unknown animals living in the forest.

And then, she heard some grunting that seemed out of place in this forest. Merlin followed the sound, her magic tingling and her heart pounding.

Finally, she spotted Arthur, bound against a tree and struggling to break free. His eyes met Merlin, widening as he recognized her.

“ARTHUR!” she exclaimed, happy to see him, but he shouted at her in alarm. A shadow befell upon her, with a putrid stench overwhelming her nose. Merlin gagged and slowly looked at whatever was blocking her sunlight, only to see a horrid creature she had never seen before.

Merlin took some slow steps back, regarding the creature with utmost caution. “What… what are you?” she blubbered.

The abomination released nerve-wrecking laughs. “Why I’m a troll, missy,” it grunted, enjoying how Merlin flinched in surprise.

“A troll,” she mouthed, turning back at Arthur who was edging her to run away. Merlin shook her head and lifted her chin in defiance, looking back at the troll that captured her bodyguard. “Release my bodyguard, I order you!” she proclaimed. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

The troll cackled and marched towards the tree where Arthur was bound to. Merlin ran closer to it, but Arthur shouted an order. “Step back, you annoying princess!” he roared in annoyance, and Merlin glared at him for even daring to use that tone of voice.

The creature placed a pointy, slimy fingernail against Arthur’s face. He glared darkly at the creature and tried to struggle free but it was in vain. “I was merely passing by, hoping to search for some food, but imagine my surprise when I caught scent of a _valuable_ piece of flesh.”

Merlin watched with horror as the creature pulled out a blade and placed it against Arthur’s neck. Blood was already drawing out and she stumbled forward to save Arthur, but the troll flicked its hand away. Merlin crashed against a tree, and she vaguely heard Arthur scream her name.

Groggily standing up, she glared at the troll and stomped forward. _“_ Nobody disrespects the future Queen!” she exclaimed, outstretching her arm and summoning her very own magic. Her irises turned into a blinding shade of gold, a huge gush of wind appearing. The troll flew into the air and crashed against a tree with a loud crack, prompting it to moan in pain.

With satisfaction, Merlin ran back to Arthur and freed him away with just a swish of her hands. She momentarily forgot that her magic was a secret and was unable to see the mixture of _relief_ , amusement, and surprise in Arthur’s eyes.

“Watch out!” Arthur cried, pushing Merlin behind him, as the troll stood up. Its eyes were directed at Merlin, wide-eyed with fear and… was that _respect_? “Emrys,” he bumbled out, pointing a shaking finger at the princess. “Emrys, you’re back.” The troll proceeded to run away for its life, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone.

“You have magic!” he exclaimed, almost hysterical but downright happy. It had snapped Merlin off from her surprise stupor and she looked back at Arthur, a warning glint in her eyes.

"Yes, yes, but you have to keep it as a secret or my family will be forced to banish or kill you,” she said, distracted, before pulling Arthur with her back to the dormitories. But Merlin made sure that her seriousness was heard. “Let’s leave before other awful creatures appear.”

Along the way, they were silent. Merlin was still reeling with the events and was very _confused_. Why the troll fled from the forest when she released her magic, she really did not know. _‘Why is there a troll, in the first place?’_ her hysterical mind asked. Sure, it should be expected, what with her magic that was supposedly non-existent. But a _troll_!

Merlin doubted anyone would give her the answers that she needed.

* * *

“They’re back!” Leon claimed, as soon as he spotted Merlin and a surprisingly disheveled Arthur. He opened the door to Merlin’s room to shout his exclaim once more, and they all flitted out.

Students sent Merlin and Arthur some strange gazes, but Merlin merely gave them a smile, enough to give off the vibes that they should not be disturbed by their questions.

“What happened?” Gwaine asked, moving forward to assist the slightly injured Arthur. They all warily looked at the blood gushing out from the wound given to him by the troll. “We were so bloody worried, you arse!”

“You know, drunken night, lost myself in the woods,” Arthur flippantly said, shooting a glance at a relieved Merlin. “Things like this happen, mate. You lot should not be worried. I can take care of myself.” Thankfully, he seemed to conveniently forget to tell them that he was abducted by a troll and was rescued by Merlin’s magic.

Percival took a step forward, his arms crossed as he glared lightly at Merlin. The princess glared back. “Watch your behavior,” she berated, and Percy seemed to realize what he was doing and became sheepish. Merlin’s glare dissipated and she started to laugh. “I’m so sorry, Percival. I had to do it. Please forgive me,” she said. 

“But how were you able to knock me down?” her bodyguard asked. “No offense, but I am too big for you, princess.”

Merlin’s eyes twinkled with secret. “I have my ways,” was all she said.

Gwen and Freya voiced out their relief for Arthur’s safe return, before leaving the group to finish up a project. Her bodyguards also went back to sleep, with Percival staying to continue guarding the princess’ room.

Before Arthur left to rest, though, Merlin pulled him inside her room. She ignored Percival’s questioning gaze as she slammed the door behind her. Then, she whirled around to stare at Arthur squarely in the eyes. “What did the troll mean when it said I was back?” she demanded in a whisper, noting how Arthur’s stare withered.

“I’m quite sure I have no idea, too,” he said, too nonchalant.

“You know something that I don’t,” she hissed in frustration, slowly going insane with everything that was happening. “And as your princess, I command you to tell me. I mean why… why all this? I’ve seen how you look at me, Arthur Pendragon. The troll… you looked like you weren’t surprised it was even here! I mean, seriously, a troll!” She knew she was losing her cool, but she _needed_ answers.

“And last night, when you asked me why I can’t remember you. Have we… have we met before?” Her voice trailed off feebly, silent desperation now peeking out from voice.

For a moment, he silently stared at her before a small, sad smile bloomed on his face. “You really can’t remember?” he asked, shoulders sagging in defeat. When she firmly shook her head, he sighed. “I can’t tell you. Where’s the thrill in it? I want you to discover it yourself, Merlin.”

He left, leaving a befuddled Merlin behind.


	6. I Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fog is cleared. Questions are finally answered.

_Merlin found herself in the middle of a strange, yet_ familiar _forest. She wandered about, allowing her feet to bring her to god-knows-where. She had no idea where she was, but her feet felt like they knew where to bring her. Soon, voices reached her ears and she quickly hid behind a bush._

_In front were two people, the one wearing an armor that resembled the one displayed back in their castle. His blond hair was swept away by the breeze, and his face… Merlin squinted more, but his face was blurred. Beside him was another man, but he was void of any armor. Instead, he wore clothes that mirrored a peasant's garb in Merlin’s history books, with a familiar, red neckerchief tied around his neck. His black, as opposed to his companion, was jetblack, and his eyes…_

_Both seemed to be in a hunt, with the blond man running about, and the other forced to drag himself, carrying too many things. Merlin figured that the latter might be the servant, and his master, the blond._

_A deer came into view, unaware of his hunters. But the servant was clumsy enough to step on a fallen branch and scare off the game. The furious lord turned to the black-haired man, who smiled at him in apology._

_“MERLIN!” he screamed, and the princess gasped, standing up from her position. Did he just call her name?_

_Slowly, ever so slowly, the servant turned his head to meet her gaze. Merlin stared back at familiar blue eyes, as the servant broke into a small smirk, and then vanished into thin air. She gasped once more, as the other man also vanished, turning into a fog that seemed to envelope her. The forest disappeared, and all she could see was a fog… so thick… she could not see anything._

“MERLIN!”

Princess Merlin sat up from her bed, emitting a small scream. She gasped for breaths, thanking the gods above for there was no fog at all and she was merely dreaming. Gwen’s comforting face swam into view as she peered at her roommate in worry.

“You all right there?” she asked, noting the beads of sweat on the princess’ forehead.

“Yes, just a…” Merlin swallowed, wiping away the perspiration on her face. “Just an _odd_ dream.”

Gwen looked at her for a few more seconds, before nodding her head and straightening up. She was already dressed for the day, and ready to go to her classes. “Just so you know, you have ten minutes before your first class for the day.”

“ _What_?!” the princess shrilly exclaimed, quickly getting up from her bed. In a flash, she quickly dressed up, and by the time she was done, Gwen was already long gone and she was already ten minutes late for her class.

When she opened the door, a disgruntled Arthur greeted her. “The others have already gone to save us a seat,” he said, following Merlin as she briskly walked to their classroom.

“And a pleasant morning to you, too,” Merlin sarcastically said, throwing an innocent smile at Arthur’s way.

She was unable to see her bodyguard roll his eyes. “You’re late, your highness,” he said.

“Ah ah ah,” the princess said, finally entering their classroom. “A princess is never late. Everyone else is simply early!”

“Right,” Arthur said, sighing in relief upon realizing that their professor too was late.

Merlin gazed around the classroom. As soon as she found the rest of her bodyguards, she strolled towards them and plopped down on her usual seat, her strange dream forgotten. 

* * *

_Dearest Merlin,_

_How have you been in school? Your father and I miss you terribly. I trust that you are still practicing your singing. Madame Margeaux still wishes for you to perfect your tunes for the upcoming Christmas ball..._

Merlin paused, groaning a bit. When Gwen looked at her questioningly, she pointed harshly at the letter. “I’m supposed to practice my singing!” she exclaimed in exasperation.

Her roommate looked at her amusedly. “Oh the woes of the future queen,” she said, winking when Merlin scowled. “Smile and wave, princess. Always smile and wave, remember?”

The princess rolled her eyes and mockingly waved her hand in the air, before returning to her mother’s letter.

_I inquired Headmaster Stronghold about your performance in school, and I am pleased to know that you are obtaining satisfactory marks. Keep this up, and you will be the best. Always remember that your father and I are proud of you, my daughter. Always._

_As response to the message you sent to us a fortnight ago, all I can say is that the House of Emrys came a long way back, with an interesting history that I am quite sure you have already read in that vast library of yours. Do not worry about other things, my Merlin. Focus on your studies and your future as the Queen of England._

_With love,_

_Queen Hunith Emrys_

Merlin sighed and placed the letter on her desk. Two weeks ago, she sent a letter to her parents, hoping to have some answers on who she really was, why Arthur and other seemed all too familiar for her, but all she received was a frustratingly vague and _normal_ letter from her mother.

Of course, she missed her parents a lot, but she highly doubted they even had any idea what she was talking about. Her mother was right; she had known about their family for generations from all the grueling hours she had to study and memorize each member by heart. But, their tree was frustratingly _small_. As a royal family, she hoped that they could be complete even way back to the middle ages, but all she found was a generation of ten or so. It was not enough to answer her questions.

She stood up from her chair and plopped down on her bed, letting sleep take over to wash her worries away.

* * *

 _Merlin found herself inside a castle that rivaled her own home. Judging from the walls and the floor, it seemed much older. She could hear voices,_ familiar _ones, and she followed them until she found herself inside a candle lit room. Heavy curtains were drawn away to let the moonlight in, and inside the room was the same blurry-faced blond, with his servant answering to his beck and call._

_She was exposed in the room, but the two seemed not to notice her presence._

_They were arguing about the blond’s weight, and Merlin laughed._

‘I remember this,’ _she thought to herself, scrunching her nose in confusion._

_“Are you saying I’m fat?” the blond demanded._

_"No!” his servant claimed. “I’m saying that the belt…”_

“Is one hole shy from perfection!” _Merlin claimed simultaneously with the servant._

_In an instant, everything seemed to stop moving. Even the flickering flames of the candles halted. Merlin surveyed the room, before settling her eyes on the other two people in the room. The blond, like the environment, seemed frozen in time. But the servant… his piercing blue eyes were on her once more._

_“Remember,” was his whisper and everything turned into fog once more._

This time, Merlin opened her eyes and blearily sat on her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at her alarm clock, blaring the numbers 4:30 in the morning.

She frowned, once again remembering her odd dream. Unlike her other dreams, which she instantly forgets as she woke up, this one was vivid… even more vivid than the previous dream she had about their hunt.

As her head hit the pillow once more, Merlin made it her current mission to finally find the answers to her questions.

* * *

“Professor, may I have a word?”

Professor Leech looked up from an essay he was reading. Princess Merlin stood in front of him, a little nervous. It was an impulsive thing for her to do, to ask him for help that is. She shot a quick look at her bodyguards, who all nodded their heads in understanding to wait for her outside. Merlin couldn’t help but lightly glare at Arthur, who gave her a little a smirk of surprise, before following the others out.

He was the reason why she was being so… so _desperate_.

“What is it, your majesty?” he asked.

Merlin fidgeted for a while, not really knowing where to start. Do you know who I am truly? Or who Arthur was? Or who _you_ are?

“I… I think you have something to say,” was all she mustered out, much to her utter embarrassment. Her eyes widened a little as her professor peered at her with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

Professor Leech pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I am afraid I do not follow,” he slowly said.

Merlin, dejected, released a sigh. “I just…” She swallowed and frowned. “Never mind, professor. I am sorry for bothering. Good day.”

She then turned around, meaning to walk out of his classroom as fast as she could. “Merlin,” he called, stopping her in her tracks. Merlin looked at him questioningly, her hand already on the doorknob. “Patience,” was all he said, before looking back at the essays, a silent gesture of dismissal.

The princess looked at him in confusion, before slowly walking out of the classroom.

“What did you ask him?” Lancelot asked her, as the others caught up with the irate princess.

“Nothing,” she curtly answered, sending a scathing glare his way, and walking more briskly than the others.

Lancelot looked at her retreating back in surprise, before looking at his other companions. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked, scratching his head in confusion.

“Oh you know,” Arthur nonchalantly said. “Girls.”

* * *

“Really, princess, aren’t you tired?” Arthur asked, shifting on his chair in front of the princess’ bedroom. Tonight was his turn to guard her room, and Merlin took that opportunity to continue pestering the infuriating blond. It did not help the fact that Arthur did not hide his amusement. Merlin wondered if she’d rather have the quiet Arthur back then, or the one she was talking to right now.

“I will not stop until you tell me _everything_ you know,” she ordered, placing her hands against her hips to look menacing. Her mother and Madame Margeaux would always do this to show their frustrations at her, and they never failed to make her crack.

Arthur seemed unbothered by it, though. “I _told_ you, it would be better if you figure it yourself,” he calmly said.

Merlin shook. “I hate you,” she said through gritted teeth. She knew she was losing her composure, very undignified, but she couldn’t help it!

“Well, that’s a strong emotion,” was all he could point out.

It would have been better if Arthur just continued being all mysterious to keep her mind at least a little at peace. The fact that he admitted that there really was _something_ she was missing out drove her mad. “You are such a prat, do you know that?” she exclaimed in a bout of frustration, her hands clenched into tight fists and her cheeks a lovely shade of red.

Arthur turned to her, an amused smirk on his face. “I’ve been told that at times, yes,” he said, and then he would look at his book once more, mimicking Professor Leech’s gesture of dismissal.

The princess harrumphed in irritation. Her eyes turned golden, a silent vengeful spell escaping from her lips, and then, she could hear Arthur’s yelp as the legs of his chair gave away. A wide, satisfied smirk stretched on her face, with her bodyguard now sprawled messily on the ground.

“Hey!” Arthur exclaimed.

“Don’t look at me,” Merlin said, raising her hands in the air in mock denial. “I did not do it.” She gave him a cheeky smile. “Probably, you should cut back from all the meat you’re eating, yes?”

Arthur gave her a glare. “Are you saying I’m fat?” he spat back.

Her smile faltered as she remembered a similar dialogue from the blond man in her dreams. “The belt is one hole shy from perfection,” she whispered, recalling the words.

Her bodyguard froze, mid-way from standing up. “Wh-what did you say?” he asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

Merlin blinked and vigorously shook her head. “Nothing,” she hastily said, retreating back to her room. She closed the door, Arthur’s stunned face now imprinted in her mind.

* * *

“I wish to go to the bookstore today,” Princess Merlin announced once the school bell rang, signaling the end of their lessons for the day.

“All right-y then,” Gwaine said, standing up to stretch. "What a day.”

“No!” Merlin exclaimed, surprising her other bodyguards. “I’d like it if Arthur only accompanies me today.”

Her Head Bodyguard looked at her in suspicion, but Merlin tried her best not to look at him. Her other bodyguards seemed surprised with her request, but of course, had to respect her decision in the end.

“If you wish it, your majesty,” Elyan slowly said, shooting suspicious looks between her and Arthur.

“We’ll be waiting back in the dormitories,” Leon assured them, nodding briefly at Arthur, before they all left, leaving the two alone.

For a while, Arthur tagged behind Merlin’s retreating back, a look of confusion etched on his face. Merlin could feel his questioning stares, but she did not give him the satisfaction of knowing why she ordered for only him to accompany her.  _‘Ha, take that!’_ she said in her thought, a small smirk appearing on her face.

As college students, they were allowed to wander out of the school premises at any time of the day, as long as they were to return before midnight to avoid being locked out by the gates. Merlin thought she’d use this perfect opportunity to look for books about Arthurian legends for Medieval History 101 since Professor Leech was asking them to research more about the life of the characters in the legend. And perhaps buy a book or two just to pass time under her favorite oak tree.

Now, Merlin did not really know why she impulsively ordered for only Arthur to accompany her. Perhaps, it was because with the others, they’d be too conspicuous, and Merlin would not like to attract any unnecessary attention to her for now. Or perhaps because it was only Arthur who knew about her secret magic, and she planned on giving herself a little concealing spell to, again, not attract unnecessary attention.

“Neat,” Arthur commented, now that Merlin had performed her magic in a concealed alley in the local town. “I know it’s you, but your face is all… blurred.”

Merlin lifted her chin. “Do not speak to me unless I address you,” she ordered coldly, prompting Arthur to raise an amused eyebrow. “ _Or_ , you tell me everything you know.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. Merlin bristled, wondering if everything for him was merely a _joke_ because she was _seriously_ driven mad from all the secrets that were kept from her. She harrumphed, turned on her heel and back into the main road to search for any nearby bookstore.

A local bookstore, a little dingy and old one, soon came into view, and Merlin briskly walked inside. She cursed Arthur’s long legs for he kept up with ease, even though she was puffing from all the walking.

Thankfully, there were only a few costumers inside, and Merlin roamed around freely. She grabbed _Le Morte D’Arthur_ , another book required for them to read in Medieval History 101 and _Romeo and Juliet_ , which was required for their literature class. Merlin also gathered two books about analyses on the Arthurian Legends, and finally an interesting book she had been meaning to read ever since she saw the synopsis online.

All in all, she managed to buy five books for today, and she wasn’t even sorry.

When Arthur saw her bundle, and chuckled. “For a princess, you seemed much more fond shopping for books than other girly stuff,” he commented.

“Well, if you must know,” she replied instantly, rounding at him as she placed her books on the counter. A kind old man smiled at her, and started checking out her books. “I pride myself as _well-rounded_ especially because I know that…” Her voice faltered, as Arthur just continued innocently smiling at her. “I am not supposed to be talking to you!”

Her bodyguard shrugged. “If you must,” he said.

Merlin rolled her eyes, thanked the owner of the bookstore, before grabbing her books. Wordlessly, Arthur reached for the heavy bundle, and Merlin had let him, although not forgetting to give him a brief glare.

As they walked back to their university, anticipation built inside Merlin’s system. Since she already finished off her homework for the week, she could finally try to find clues about the peculiarity that was happening ever since Arthur Pendragon stepped into her life.

* * *

_Merlin shivered._

_Eyes roaming around a strange room full of ice, she wrapped an arm around her body to keep her warm. Her quick breaths were fogging up in the air as she desperately tried to search for an exit in this awfully freezing room._

_Everywhere she looked, blocks of towering ice stood. Merlin tried to feel any doorknob on the walls, but she couldn’t, and in the end, she found herself back at the center once more, at loss of what to do._

_The sudden sound of cracking ice alerted her, and Merlin’s eyes magnetized at the location of the sound. She gasped in fear, taking a step back, as in front of her was the servant she had been seeing in her dreams was frozen inside a huge wall of ice, his eyes closed and his body unmoving._

_Uncertainly, Merlin approached his frozen form, her hand outstretched as it finally touched the ice. The servant’s eyes suddenly opened, staring right back at her…_

Merlin gasped in shock as she finally woke up from yet another odd dream. She could still feel herself shivering, the remnants of the cold from the peculiar room still affecting her. _‘It’s just a dream,’_ she reassured herself, leaning slightly back on her chair to catch her breath.

It was almost midnight and Merlin scowled, annoyed that she fell asleep while researching facts about her situation. Or lack thereof, really.

First and foremost, she had no _idea_ what to read just to explain her situation. She even read about _reincarnations_ online, blast it all, since one comment from her yahoo question suggested that she might have remembered Arthur due to her past selves. The rest were just plain, rude answers telling her to _get a life_ and to _eat my banana_ , which she really had no idea what it meant.

She also tried to make sense of her dreams, with recurring characters that never happened before. Usually, her dreams came off weird, with sudden inexplicable objects conjuring into thin air just to complete the oddity of everything. But for the past few days, her dreams were… _different_. Too vivid, even.

“ _…Our dreams are said to be a manifestation of thoughts and images in the brain that organizes them in a database,”_ the book claimed. “ _The reason why we get recurring dreams is due to the fact that we haven’t solved or dealt with an ongoing issue that has created stress in our life. Recurring dreams appear during tough or emotional times in our lives._ ”

“Haven’t solved or dealt an ongoing issue, eh?” she thought, remembering her current stressful situation regarding Arthur. Perhaps, her dreams were in one way or another connected with Arthur, and that just made everything more confusing.

Why was she having those dreams? Who were those two people? _Who_ , in particular was the servant? How were they connected with Arthur?

Merlin, by then, had given up researching for a while, and just fancied herself into reading one of the Arthurian books she bought from the local bookstore. It was second hand, with its spine already creased from probably over reading. Whoever owned this book before must have loved reading it so much. The pages were also already yellowing, and it smelled of dust and old paper.

It was perfect, she had thought, and read it before falling asleep on her desk.

Now that Merlin was awake once more, she tried to sleep in the end on her bed but found that it was futile. Her eyes landed on the still open book, before impulsively standing up, grabbing the book and a nearby sweater.

She made sure that Gwen was fast asleep, before going out of her room. Elyan was the one on his post for the night, but he was asleep. Merlin tiptoed past him, and once she was out of the room, she made a mad dash towards her usual oak tree near the school lake.

Upon arriving, she plopped down, and continued reading.

For a moment, opinions of the author were pitched in to analyze the character of Arthur Pendragon.

“ _In his youth, he was spoilt, still akin to a rock with sharp, rough edges_ ,” it stated. _“He was unwise, with a mind and heart unfit to be king the prophecies spoke of. But Arthur was destined for greatness, and the earth sent trying obstacles and situations that finally meld the King Arthur famously known in his very own legend.”_

Merlin smiled a bit, fancying herself into thinking of how prattish Arthur became wise, courageous Arthur. Growing up, her father taught of Arthur as the epitome of what a King should act. He was a great leader, but at the same time a great servant to his people, which had made him stand out among the other kings that ruled during his reign.

She continued reading, with the book now introducing important characters in the legend.

 _“The legendary Merlin was perhaps the most interesting character in this story,”_ it continued. _“Many speculated whether he was an old, wise man who took Arthur under his care, nurtured him, taught him lessons that paved way to King Arthur’s greatness. Other books, on the other hand, believed that Merlin started out as a servant to Arthur, even during his reign as king, and had been loyal to him ever since.”_

“ _Richard Watson, in his book_ Merlin: The Legend _, described Merlin as a gangly teenager, who worked for Arthur as his manservant for years before becoming his Court Adviser and Warlock. Watson spoke of Merlin’s journey to become the legendary warlock that we know of, having to accompany Arthur in his trials.”_

The princess paused for a bit, feeling a sudden painful throb in her head. “Ugh,” she moaned, closing her eyes to try to block out the nausea she felt. Maybe it was time go back to her dormitory.

' _Just one more page,’_ she urged, knowing she wouldn’t have any more time to do her research in the future.

She opened her eyes and for a moment, the nausea disappeared. Shaking her head, she went back to her book. “ _At times of challenges, Merlin would be there to aid Arthur by his magic. Watson also spoke of the strong camaraderie that Arthur and Merlin had during the former’s reign. When not in quests, Arthur would fancy himself in hunting and, of course, with Merlin by his side.”_

Merlin gasped as another throbbing pain shot through her temples. When she closed her eyes, the image of the two men that occupied her dreams for the last few days danced before her eyes, the hunting trip she dreamt about once more playing in her head. But this time, the environment was so vivid, she could hear every single sound that surrounded the two – the squawking of the birds, the crunch of the fallen leaves, the swaying of the trees.

More images came to play, dialogues of familiar voices exchanged.

_“Are you saying I’m fat?”_

_“The belt is one hole shy from perfection.”_

_“MERLIN!”_

_“Arthur is the Once and Future King.”_

_“Clotpole.”_

_“Dollophead.”_

_“MERLIN!”_

New characters seemed to join the two protagonists – an old man, with kind eyes, a maidservant, with the sweetest smile, knights, courageous and handsome, and finally a vengeful woman, with ebony hair and eyes that shone gold.

And finally, the scene shifted back to that cold, _cold_ room, the same manservant she had seen still frozen in the block of ice. His eyes, though, were open, as if expecting… as if _commanding_ and Merlin doubled over as the pain intensified.

She saw the faces of the two, young men once more. The manservant, so frighteningly familiar, was smiling widely at her and she thought… she thought she was like looking at her reflection. And then, her eyes shifted on the blond who was beside him. The fog was still surrounding his face, before, ever so slowly, being blown away to reveal the face of one Arthur Pendragon.

In that instant, all the people that flashed before her eyes all became so familiar. The fog in her head, which had restricted her from delving deeper, was gone, and she could see everything so clearly now.

 _Everything_.

As Merlin’s eyes shot open, they were of a blinding shade of gold. A sudden force seemed to emit out of her, troubling the still waters of the lake. Loud, guttural sobs escaped from her mouth as the gold dissipated back to her original blue eyes… the same eyes that stared back at her in her dreams.

Blindly, frantically, she scrambled up to her feet, her book forgotten, as her feet started to drag her back to her room. Her newfound revelation was all she could think about. The pain in her head was still bothersome, but she’d ignored it, focusing on one task she must do.

Princess Merlin finally arrived at the dormitories, but instead of going straight to her room, she ran at the neighboring door, unhesitatingly pounding on it as if her life depended on it.

The door was opened forcefully, a furious Arthur, his hair tousled, his chest bare, and his face, his _familiar_ face all scrunched up in a groggy fury. “What in the _name_ do you” –

His words died down as the hysterical Merlin threw her arms around his neck and cried on his shoulders. Overwhelming feelings battled inside the princess’ heart, and being here with Arthur, she felt safe, _relieved_ even.

“Err… princess?” he cautiously asked, all the anger in his voice now gone.

Merlin slightly pulled away from him and looked him straight in his eyes.

“Arthur,” she whispered. “I remember.” 


	7. Like the Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Princess Merlin remembers everything... Now what?

She was _freezing_.

Her shivers had cut Arthur off his stupor, as he quickly ushered her inside and directed her on their couch. Sobs still racked her body, and Merlin couldn’t help but to hug herself in desperate need for warmth.

Arthur disappeared for a moment, before reappearing with a comforter in his hand. “Here,” he said, as Merlin shakily held it in her hands. Merlin wrapped it around her shoulders and snuggled deeper into it, trying to gain more warmth in her body. Tears still streamed down her face, and she haphazardly wiped them with the comforter, too.

Her Head Bodyguard once again came into vision, this time wearing a white t-shirt. She could see that he was uncomfortable, perhaps at loss of what to do, but above all those Merlin could see that he was _relieved_. And she could not really blame him.

“I…” he started, words dying from his lips. He shifted awkwardly, his hand absentmindedly tousling his already messy hair. “You… well, you don’t need to worry about Gwaine. He sleeps like a log.” He gave her a small smile. “The only thing that could wake him is the wrath of his ex-girlfriends.”

This made her smile.

She was calming down, and Arthur still stood in front of her. The princess was now sporting a headache from all the remembering that had happened, and she was _reeling_ from whoever she was. The fog had lifted; now clearly thinking, she could associate everyone she knew right now with their original selves in the past. And her! As the Legendary Merlin himself! Merlin was still clearly in disbelief.

“Do you want some hot chocolate?” Arthur offered, and Merlin nodded, a little distracted.

Arthur already prepared the hot beverage, and Merlin took her time to watch him do so. They have small kitchenettes in their own dormitories in case they want to have midnight snacks and such.

The headache was still throbbing, but it turned into a dull one. The memories that came back to her, though, were increasing, and Merlin was still reeling from all the information she was gathering. Flashbacks played in her mind, with her, the _original_ Merlin practicing magic in secret or saving King Arthur’s life, and she could not help but wonder _why_ it never dawned to her that perhaps she was the future reincarnation of Legendary Merlin.

“The memory loss…” Merlin muttered. Arthur looked up, the made hot chocolate already in his hands. “How come I’ve never, you know, pieced everything together? My bodyguards… and roommate! They’re all reincarnations, aren’t they?”

Arthur slowly nodded his head, now approaching the bewildered Princess. He passed the drink to her, which she absentmindedly clutched, still lost in her thoughts.

“Every time you try to remember something of your origins,” he started, “there is a fog that clouds your thought, isn’t there?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know?” she exclaimed, shivering in remembrance of the hazy state her brain turns into every time she tried to rack her brain for some answers to her questions.

“It’s the consequence of being a reincarnation,” her bodyguard clarified. “Reincarnations are not supposed to remember their past lives… _well_ , that was the rule. So every time you come close to an association with your past, some bit of magic works and you’re left all fogged up and confused.”

Merlin distractedly massaged her head and frowned. “There’s still some fog,” she said.

“Don’t worry, it will clear up soon now that you’re starting to remember.”

“No wonder Freya and Gwen felt this way too,” she mused aloud. Merlin wondered if her other bodyguards also had these certain episodes, but like her before, they merely brushed them away.

She quietly sipped her hot chocolate, disbelieving that everything was starting to make sense to her. Looking across at Arthur, she could detect his relief, and now she _perfectly_ understood that he had known about his destiny earlier than she has.

“Remembering for the first time is always the worst,” he offered with an apologetic smile. “You’ll get used to it.”

“How come I’m remembering now?” she asked, thinking about her other friends. “You told me the rule was that reincarnations are not supposed to know about their past.”

To her dismay, Arthur shrugged. “I’ve been asking about that for years, mind you,” he said. “It just… _happens_ , I guess. I’m not really sure myself. Maybe it’s because you have this annoying list of questions, which triggered the remembering.”

She glared at him, but lacked the animosity she wished to have. Merlin was tired, and the memories just kept on rushing back. “How long have you known?” she finally asked, curious when he claimed about asking all kinds of questions for years.

“Let me see,” Arthur asked, scratching his chin, deep in thought. “Maybe I was five-years-old or something.” She gasped in surprise, prompting him to grin. “Yeah, my poor little heart could not even handle the thought of being King Arthur himself. I was _five_ , for goodness' sake. I couldn’t really understand anything at all, but my destiny dawned on me while I’m growing up.”

He paused for a moment, scrunching up his nose to remember. “I remember my mother telling me that I acted peculiar even years before I started to remember,” he said, slowly looking back at her once more. “She told me when I was two-years-old, there was a day when I was, well, for lack of a better word, _hysterical_. I was restless, crying all day and night, and no amount of comfort could stop me. The funny thing was, on that same day, the Queen announced to the whole kingdom that she was carrying you.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, ” was all she managed to say.

“Yeah,” Arthur said, smiling at her.

Merlin pictured a five-year-old him, already burdened by the memories of his destiny. Internally, she shivered, not knowing what she would do if she were in his shoes. She was eighteen now, and she still could not properly take in who she originally was.

“And then,” he continued, managing to snatch back her attention, “a year after I remembered everything, Gaius Leech came into our house, seeking for me.”

“You knew Professor Leech?” she asked, astonished.

Arthur nodded his head. “He had known years before, too,” he said, pointedly looking at her. “I’m sure you know what his role was in our past.”

 _Of course_ , how could she forget her fatherly figure way back? No wonder she felt some connection with their peculiar professor.

“Gaius explained everything to my parents and me,” he continued. “My father” – he frowned a little – “was not exactly thrilled with this turn of events.”

Merlin shivered. She remembered Uther’s tyrannical reign and decree of forbidding magic. She wondered once more how her original counterpart survived during this era, when he was coined as the most powerful wizard that had ever walked on Earth.

“But Gaius believes that him remembering meant he was tasked to help me,” he said. “He never really told me how he remembered and how he knew I remembered. Maybe you can blame that to the magic that dampened our memories, I don’t really know. I’m guessing that Gaius felt this shift when you started remembering too.”

Merlin placed her forgotten mug on the coffee table and leaned her tired head against the couch. “This is all so surreal,” she commented, breathless, an image of manservant Merlin doing his chores in Camelot.

“It is,” Arthur replied. “And _more_. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the great Merlin himself was a _girl_.”

The princess colored, a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance swirling in her heart. She gave him a glare, but he merely innocently smiled back. “You can’t blame me!” he shot back, defensive. “Your past reincarnations were all _men_ , and I believe you are the first reincarnation to be female. Shocker.”

Images of a bearded man with twinkling eyes danced in her mind’s eye, and she blanched. Absentmindedly stroking her beardless chin, Merlin could not imagine herself now as male. Arthur burst into boisterous laughter and instead of getting offended, she was actually dumbfounded that it was the first time Arthur freely laughed in front of her.

With a jolt, she thought, it was like the _old times_.

“That’s not the only astonishing part, you know,” she added, knitting her eyebrows as she gestured at herself. “I am the Crown Princess” - she now gestured at him – “and _you_ are my servant… well, technically, my bodyguard. If my memory doesn’t fail me, I am positively sure our roles should have been reversed.”

“Oh yeah, that too,” Arthur added, now also in deep thought. “Does that bother you?”

He looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Merlin frowned, contemplating his question. “Surprisingly, no,” she slowly answered, trying to gauge his reaction. “Does _that_ bother _you_?” she asked, returning his question.

Arthur shrugged. “I’m not really sure.” He paused, pursing his lips. “Well, not really. I mean, I was trained for years to become your bodyguard, for heaven’s sake. Although I know who I truly was, that I am the ‘Once and Future King’” – he made quotation marks in the air – “being your bodyguard seems… okay.”

Merlin nodded, perfectly understanding his words. It was weird, that now she remembered everything, it dawned to her that it was King Arthur Pendragon serving the Great Merlin in this lifetime. She vaguely remembered some of her past reincarnations, with her serving Arthur one way or another, but it was probably the first time, too, that their roles were reversed.

“So, what now?” she then asked after a few moments of silence. “I already remember everything, Arthur. So what do we do now?”

“Good question,” Arthur said, leaning against the couch and thoughtfully looking at Merlin. “But… I don’t really know.” He paused for a moment, before speaking once more, “I think it is best if we talk to Professor Leech. Maybe he would know what we should do.”

The Princess concurred, a small smile on her face. She could remember the times when original Merlin would seek help from his mentor, and most of the time, Gaius had the answers. She just wished that now, his future counterpart would have the solution to their situation.

“Well, I think it had been a long night. We should go back to bed,” Arthur suddenly piped in, after checking his watch. Merlin glanced at the wall clock on her bodyguard’s room, and was surprised to see it was already three in the morning. Three more hours and she should be getting ready for school.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” she said, slowly standing up from the couch. “I… um, thank you for this conversation.”

Arthur boyishly smiled, also standing up from his seat. “Oh, you were _dying_ to know,” he said, ignoring her playful glare. “So welcome, your highness.”

To his utmost surprise, Merlin threw her arms around Arthur, all the relief and happiness she had exuded out. She breathed in, feeling lighthearted for the very first time in her life, and she could hear him chuckling a bit, patting her back in comfort. She knew she was breaching the protocol between the crown princess and her bodyguard, but Merlin was too happy to care.

“Err… sorry about that,” she blubbered, blushing as she pulled away from Arthur. He too was red in the face, but he was smiling.

Arthur then escorted her back to her room, glaring at the sleeping Elyan. He slapped the back of his neck, prompting Elyan to jerk awake. Upon seeing the amused princess and the furious head bodyguard, Gwen’s brother sheepishly smiled and stood up whilst rubbing his smarting neck.

“Oh don’t go running away in the dark now, Princess,” he claimed, making Merlin laugh. “Arthur will have my head.”

“Damn right, I will,” was Arthur’s answer, as he ushered Merlin into her own room. “It’s best to rest well, your highness.”

Merlin nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Good night, Arthur.”

The head bodyguard matched her smile. “Good night, Merlin.”

For a moment, their eyes connected, and Merlin could _finally_ feel the deep connection she shared with Arthur. Now that she remembered everything about her past and Arthur, their destinies were realized and she could, surprisingly, feel a hum of magic swirling between the two of them.

“Good night,” Elyan piped in, looking suspiciously between the two.

Merlin chuckled and also gave Elyan a hug, surprising him. She was too happy today she was tempted to wake all of her bodyguards up to give each and everyone of them hugs.

She was ridiculous.

“Good night, too, Elyan,” she said, pulling away.

Merlin then proceeded to walk into her room and closed the door behind her.

That night, it was the first time she had a peaceful sleep.

* * *

“Did something happen between those two?” Percival inquired his friends, jutting a thumb at the oblivious Merlin and Arthur. Gwaine snorted, surprised that even his usually dull friend caught up with the sudden change of behaviour of their princess and her head bodyguard.

Elyan swung an arm around Percival’s muscular shoulders, contemplatively looking at the object of their conversation. “They do seem awfully chummy today,” he reckoned, a boisterous laugh escaping from Arthur. He frowned and pointedly looked at the others, wordlessly saying Arthur _never_ laughed like that before.

Gwaine, surprisingly, was unable to pitch in to their conversation as he, too, was busy trying to piece everything together. When he woke up that morning, with Arthur unsurprisingly ready for the day, Gwaine knew that something was amiss in their room. He spotted an unwashed mug, remnants of hot chocolate still crusted at the bottom.

Arthur _hated_ hot chocolate. The cocky bodyguard usually prefered tea or coffee, but never hot chocolate.

And the smell… there was a lingering smell of a female scent in their room. Gwaine had had his fair share of women before, he could honestly say that the scent was feminine. For a moment, he thought it was perhaps a wrathful ex of his that had barged inside, but normally he would be awoken by painful jabs on his unmentionables.

This led him to deduce that the female companion was perhaps Arthur’s, and he wondered if their usually strict leader was having a hidden affair behind their backs.

Gwaine could be described as a womanizer, heartbreaker, but he could be bloody observant too if he wanted to, and as he watched Merlin and Arthur, their heads conspiratorially close together, he _wondered_.

His trail of thought halted as their professor came in to start the class.

* * *

Merlin sent a sideways glance at Arthur, who gave a slight of affirmation.

The class had been dismissed, the students ready to take a break before the start of another class. They would not be able to meet Professor Leech today; hence the two reckoned this break time would be the perfect opportunity to question the teacher about their predicament.

Turning to the others, Arthur claimed, “Go ahead and do whatever you want to do. Just do remember to save a seat for the princess if we’re not back in time.” He frowned when they exchanged intrigued looks. “The princess wishes to speak to Professor Merry. I’d wait for her by then.”

“Of course,” Leon said, tilting his head in agreement. 

“ _Of course_ ,” Gwaine repeated, earning him an eyebrow raise from the blond. Arthur looked at his knowing look in confusion, but brushed it off when Merlin called for his attention.

The other bodyguards bid their goodbyes. Merlin and Arthur waited until the other students had left.

Professor Merry, a plump, petite woman of middle age, inquired them if they need something. But Merlin, with a kind smile, shook her head “no”.

As soon as the room was abandoned, save from the two of them, Arthur and Merlin hurriedly walked out from the classroom.

Professor Leech had no class today, and might perhaps be in the faculty room. “But he’s a part-time physician,” Merlin interjected, “I think he would spend his free time in the school infirmary.”

Arthur agreed, and they ventured into the said clinic. It was in the middle of the afternoon, and some students were slumbering on the clinic beds. Eyes roaming, the professor was nowhere in sight. Arthur pointed at the physician’s room at the end of the infirmary, and they hurriedly approached it, anticipation in their hearts.

“Come in,” a voice from inside stated after Merlin knocked.

“Professor,” she softly said, opening the door wider. He looked at her in surprise, especially upon seeing a grinning Arthur behind. “May we have a word?”

He placed his paperwork on his desk, and merely nodded his head. If it was possible, his perpetually lifted eyebrow seemed to rise higher on his forehead. Merlin and Arthur stood beside each other, eagerness on their faces as they shared a knowing look.

“Hmm,” Gaius mused, weaving his wrinkled fingers together. “I am guessing that Princess Merlin here already remembers.”

She eagerly nodded her head, explaining to him what had transpired last night. Professor Leech listened attentively, amusement clearly evident on his face. Boldly, Merlin stepped forward and grabbed both of the professor’s hands. “I remember you, too, Gaius!” she happily explained, prompting him chuckle.

“Indeed you do,” he affirmed with a fatherly smile.  

Arthur cleared his throat, snapping Merlin off her happy bubble. Her cheeks colored in embarrassment and released Gaius’ hands, taking a step back to assume her original position.

“Besides the good news,” Arthur started, “we also have something to ask you, sir.”

Merlin nodded. “Now that I remember, and Arthur _clearly_ remembers for some years now,” she started, “we thought that this might mean something. We agreed that maybe you will have some answers, Gaius.”

To their dismay, their professor frowned. “I agree that this is surprising,” he said, gesturing at the two of them. “Future reincarnations normally lost their memories of the past. If I clearly remember, there was never a time when both of you remembered at the same time.”

The princess swallowed and nervously glanced at her head bodyguard. Even Arthur was worried by Gaius’ words. “Is… is that bad, professor?” she asked.

“That,” he continued, “I do not know.” He stood up from his seat and thoughtfully paced. “But you are correct in assuming that this odd occurrence might mean something. But forgive me, I am oblivious to the true purpose.” He paused to look at the disappointed looks on their faces and sighed. “A word of warning though. Magic in this country, in modern _Albion_ stirs, especially because they felt that the legendary King Arthur Pendragon and the powerful sorcerer” – he noticed her grimace – “ _sorceress_ Merlin are once again walking on the face of the Earth. Danger is bound to come to both of you. So be careful.”

Their faces were grave, but agreed at their professor’s words nonetheless. The incident with the troll and Arthur’s kidnapping sat at the back of their thoughts, and Merlin knew that sooner, more magical creatures would take an interest in the legendary king.

“We understand. Thank you, Gaius.” The head bodyguard inclined his head and gave him a smile.

Professor Leech matched his smile. “Of course, your highness,” was his reply.

Merlin’s eyes widened a little and looked at Arthur, forgetting that he was the _king_. To hear Gaius addressing him as such, the princess was reminded of Arthur’s true identity.

“Off you go then,” the professor said. “Next class is about to start and I have patients to tend to.”

They hurriedly walked out of the clinic and into their next class, heads still reeling from their conversation with Gaius.

“Well, that was productive,” Arthur dryly said, disappointment at the tone of his voice. “I was actually hoping for more explanations.”

Merlin sighed. “We have no choice now but to wait, yes?” she asked, thoughtfully tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “For now… I guess everything is back to normal. I’d rather that my bodyguards, Gwen and Freya, stay oblivious of their origins.”

“I’ll stay as your bodyguard,” was Arthur’s vow.

The princess thought it was _laughable_ , now that she properly thought about it. “Here I am, destined to protect you through and through, but look at us now, I am the one being protected by _you_.” Merry laughter escaped from her mouth, remembering their past adventures together and Arthur’s knack of needing protection from her.

He seemed displeased with her comment for he rolled his eyes. “Well, in this lifetime, you are a _princess_ ,” he pointed out. “You most definitely need protecting.”

Merlin glared at him and harrumphed. “Prat,” she claimed.

For a moment, Arthur’s eyes brightened in remembrance, recalling similar occurrence when Merlin would call him as such. Despite the insult, a wide grin stretched on his handsome face. “Watch it,” he cajoled. “I am still your king.”

“But not in this lifetime, you horrible man,” she reminded him, wagging a finger at his direction. “I recall some prat telling me a while ago that I am the _princess_. Therefore, I can call you whatever name that I want to.” She pursed her lips and lifted her chin in effect. “Clotpole.”

Arthur’s smile widened. “Idiot,” he pointed out, and secretly, something warm pooled in Merlin’s heart.

Indeed, it was like the old times. 


	8. Rumor Has It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Arthur grew closer and people are starting to get suspicious.

“All right, princess. Spill!”

Merlin looked up from her _Romeo and Juliet_ and quizzically looked at a _too_ eager Gwen. “Excuse me?” was her reply.

Gwen made exasperated hand gestures in the air. “Oh you know! Spill _the beans_ ,” she elaborated, her cheeks already coloring with obvious giddiness.

 The princess gave an unladylike snort. “Thank you very much, Guinevere, that was really helpful,” she teased. Gwen chuckled and swatted her arm playful. Rolling her eyes, Merlin absentmindedly rubbed her smarting arm (Gwen gives a mean slap) and continued, “Honestly, what has gotten into you?”

“Oh, Merlin,” she sighed, dragging a chair near Merlin. She eagerly sat down on it and stared at the princess in a giddy stupor. “I’ve heard… _rumors_. About you.”

“Which one?” Merlin joked, numerous breaking news from the past crossing her mind. As the Crown Princess of this country, it was already common for her to hear weird rumors, and sometimes true ones, about her and the people around her.

Gwen tutted in impatience. “About you and _Arthur_!” she finally cried. She joined both of her ring fingers together for emphasis. “You know, of you and handsome bodyguard Arthur as an item!”

The princess colored in surprise. “ _What?!_ ” was her exclamation. It was a new rumor for her, after all. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

“That was what I told Lancelot!” she cried in agreement, nodding her head vigorously. “I mean, aren’t you engaged with Prince Harry?”

Merlin snorted openly. “Oh, I wish,” was her reply. “But back to this Arthur and me rumor thing, where did you hear such a ridiculous idea?”

“Well…,” she started, “a little bird told me that you demanded to go to the bookstore with _Arthur_ alone, sending the rest of your band of bodyguards back to their dorms. Another little bird told me that you’ve been spending an awful a lot of time with Arthur than the others and well, Arthur had considerably changed a bit these past few days. And blimey, princess, anyone with eyes can see how much time you’ve been spending with him!”

The princess silently berated herself, realization dawning that she was indeed spending a lot of time with Arthur for the past few days. She could not help it at all, if she was being honest with herself. Her newfound memory of her past reincarnation flooded her with a lot of questions and since asking Professor Leech himself would raise a lot of questions (and possibly _more_ ridiculous rumors), it was only logical for her to seek these answers from her head bodyguard. Arthur was always enthusiastic in providing his answers; thus, the two always found themselves talking animatedly with each other.

 _‘You should have been more careful, Merlin Emrys,’_ she scolded herself, rolling her eyes because she should have known, having been the receiving end of numerous not-so-pleasant rumors in the past.

Across her, Gwen frowned. “So… they’re not true?” she asked, still sounding a little bit hopeful.

“Of course not!” Merlin scoffed, crossing her arms against her chest. “I can’t believe you’ll fall for those ridiculous gossips, Guinevere.”

Her roommate grew sheepish. “Well, I can’t help it,” she interjected. “I’ve been also seeing you a lot of times with Arthur, and well… I can’t help but wonder, you know.”

Merlin rolled her eyes at her ridiculous statement. “Guinevere,” she said, condescending, “just because a girl and a boy spends an awful lot of time together does not mean they romantically involved.” Gwen merely raised an eyebrow. “Can’t I just spend some time with my bodyguard, who turned out to have some interests that I share?”

“All right, all right, no need to be all princess-y to me,” her roommate said, raising both of her hands in defense. She started giggling and stood up from her chair. “Bloody hell, Merlin, it was a simple ‘yes or no’ question. You don’t have to be so defensive.” She shrieked, ducking at the last minute when _Romeo and Juliet_ came hurtling above her head.

“I was not being defensive!” the princess exclaimed, smiling as Gwen scrambled to get a pillow to throw at her. “And before we start getting all childish and throw things at each other, don’t you have a quiz tomorrow?”

Her roommate’s arm froze mid-air, as a look of horror dawned on her face. “Shite!” she squeaked, dashing to get her school bag and some of her thick books. “I forgot I was supposed to meet Freya in the library today.” She stooped down to give Merlin a haphazard hug. “Don’t wait for me, love!”

* * *

“Did you know they thought I was the ‘Princess’ Man’?” Arthur amusedly inquired, escorting Merlin back to her room that night. The rest of her bodyguards were still in the library, frantically finishing an Economics essay due the next day. Since Merlin was already done with her own assignment, she bid them good night and chose to retire for the day.

Arthur volunteered to escort her back, seeing that it was his schedule to guard her door for the night anyway. Merlin pointedly ignored the suggestive wink Gwaine sent her way, and how her other guards looked at each other, their eyes loaded with knowing. The princess silently bristled because even her bodyguards heard the rumor, and she wondered if they had confronted Arthur just like how Gwen had confronted her the night before.

Whispers followed their wake and Merlin was so relieved once she spotted her dormitory door, the corridors void of any students.

“A Princess Man?” Merlin asked, eyebrows knitting as she quizzically look at Arthur.

He grinned sheepishly. “Well… if you know what _I_ mean,” he said, hopeful she would get it.

Merlin blinked a few times before her eyes widened, understanding him completely. “W-what?” she sputtered, her cheeks splattered crimson. She hid her face behind her hands, losing composure. “How can people talk about such a thing?”

“You are kind of a celebrity, princess, no offense,” Arthur said, offering as comfort. He abashedly rubbed the back of his neck. “It was Gwaine who told me, and I somehow think it was just him who suggested my role as such, that little pervert.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I heard from the others though, that the university thinks that we are, simply put, an ‘item’ now.”

“Yes, I heard it from Gwen too,” Merlin said, expelling a sigh. They finally reached her door. She crossed her arms and pointedly looked at him. “I cannot believe how people can be this… _shallow_ ,” she cried, indignant. She recalled some of these horrid scandals that her family and her relatives faced in the past, and how her mother would be flustered in private over their ridiculousness.

Arthur chuckled, much to her surprise. “Did I say something humorous?” she snapped back, standing on her full height to look regal.

“Relax, princess,” he said, his chuckles dying, although a smile remained stretched on his face. “I think, you of all people, should ignore these ridiculous rumors! I mean, you have faced far worse in the past before, right? This should be easy for you to handle.”

He was right, but Merlin did not tell him it was the first bad rumor involving her. Perhaps it was because she rarely went out of the castle back when she was younger, only accompanying her mother to various charity events that would require the presence of the Crown Princess. Her cheeks colored and she looked at the floor, embarrassed at her attitude. She remembered some rumors about her father, how he had _supposedly_ swindled the money from the government treasury, and how some people rallied in protest about his atrocious actions. It was a particularly stressful month for the royal family, especially because a peace conference was fast approaching in their country and her father’s status was not exactly at its best.

It was then revealed that it was the Prime Minister at that time that was causing the corruption, and he was immediately impeached. Merlin’s father’s name was cleared, much to her relief and her mother’s, but what she admired the most was how her father handled this whole debacle in the first place – regal and patient.

Now, comparing it with the current rumor directed towards her and her head bodyguard, Merlin felt a little ashamed and sighed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, tiredly running a hand through her ebony hair. “I was just under a lot of stress, what with my princess duties and academics. Oh, and of course, the remembering about us being reincarnations of the Arthurian legends and…” She trailed off, realizing she was babbling. She cringed, remembering Madame Margeaux’ favourite quote, _“Babbling princesses are buffoons.”_ She chuckled and shook her head, looking back at Arthur. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I’m sure your father warned you that being near the princess can pave way to future rumors that are not true at all.”

Arthur grinned. “Quite all right,” he said. “I did not mind it at all, really. I just wanted to see how you will react with this.”

Merlin glared. “Why thank you for that,” she said, now completely embarrassed with how she reacted a while ago.

Her head bodyguard chuckled. “I’m sorry, consider it as my poor excuse of telling you not to mind them at all,” he said, once again awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

This made the princess slightly smile. Although it had not been a week since she started remembering who they really were, Arthur was trying his best to be supportive of her new revelations. They did not exactly have an openly affectionate relationship in their past incarnations, with Arthur usually being awkward when Merlin expresses his feelings of gratitude. She remembered their Originals, with the legendary Merlin usually being the receiving end of a slap on the head on rare moments where he’d be thankful to the king.

Their situations now were completely different from the past. Arthur could not exactly slap her on her head every time she shows emotions towards him, because, _well,_ he was the one doing the serving. Merlin wondered if Arthur sometimes wished if their roles were not reversed; that he’d still be someone important and Merlin would be the one serving under him, because there were times that she actually did. She knew that if Arthur was the Prince right now, and she would be his bodyguard or more fittingly a servant really, he’d be doing a much better job than her.

“Princess,” Arthur said, cutting her off from her musings.

“Hmm?” she absentmindedly asked, discreetly clearing her thoughts to focus on him.

Arthur was smiling. “I think it is best if you go inside your room now,” he said.

“Oh, right,” Merlin said, giving him a smile. “Thank you, Arthur. You can return to the library if you must. I know you still haven’t finished your essay.”

“It’s quite all right,” he said, “I can finish it while guarding your door at the same time.”

Her smile turned fonder at his dedication. “Of course,” she said, “thank you, Arthur. Good night.”

“Good night, Princess Merlin,” he said, inclining his head for respect.

Merlin then went inside, went to bed, and dreamt of pratty kings and clumsy servants.

* * *

“Ooh, Gwen, do you see that?!” Freya silently squealed, tightly clutching the arm of a furiously blushing Guienevere. “You are a one lucky, _lucky_ woman!”

The first wave of midterm exams had finally finished and their professor were actually understanding this time, letting the freshmen spend the rest of the afternoon as a free time. The princess’ bodyguards thought it would be fun for them to have a friendly football match and were now warming-up on the field. Merlin, as the princess they were _supposed_ to guard with utmost precaution, had no choice but to follow. She would have loved to go to the library to catch up with her reading, but knew that her bodyguards deserved this break after constantly balancing their jobs as her bodyguards and as students of this prestigious university. Therefore, she begrudgingly followed them and sat on the bleachers where they could easily see her in case an emergency arose.

Her bodyguards teamed up – Gwaine, Elyan and Leon vs. Arthur, Lancelot and Percival. Some of their classmates had joined the six, and each had an additional of three members. Gwaine’s team were assigned to be ‘shirts’, while Arthur’s were assigned to be ‘skins’, which was the sole reason why Gwen was furiously blushing like an angry tomato because Lancelot had to remove his shirt and show off his skin.

Merlin was amused how Gwaine actually _complained_ because he wanted to remove his shirt too, which made Arthur laughingly hit his head for wanting the attention all to himself.

Hence, the game commenced, and Merlin, much to her amusement, observed that the football field was steadily gaining a lot of spectators, mostly females of the university.

The princess wasn’t really surprised. Looking at her bodyguards now, hairs handsomely tossed haphazardly, with muscles that could make even Madame Margeaux stare for a while flexing all over the place was a sight for the sore eyes. Even Merlin couldn’t help but feel a little… bothered looking at them.

Freya would once in a while emit little squeals, not because one team was able to gain advantage against the other, but because Percival’s abs would be too tempting to touch or Gwaine’s biceps would be flexed just at the right angle. Merlin worried about Gwen because she was too speechless now, her cheeks too flared up, eyes intently glued on Lancelot.

The crowd was growing wild, cheering for a specific team, or more appropriately, a specific bodyguard. Merlin’s nose scrunched up in bafflement, at loss since she really had no background over this sport. The boys seemed to love it; sometimes, their topic of discussion were about who was the best football team or debating whether the rules were actually valid or just plain nonsensical. Merlin always found herself tuning them out, already losing herself in her books, and did not bother to join in because she knew she would not understand any of it.

A nostalgic smile graced her face, remembering the same excitement her bodyguards showed back in the medieval age, where hunting was the fad. Her legendary counterpart despised this past time, unable to see where the fun was in killing innocent fauna, but original Merlin had no choice but to always tag along as the manservant to King Arthur. Perhaps, the princess mulled over, this football game was the exact counterpart of hunting.

A loud wave of cheering and screams erupted in the field as bodyguard Arthur manage to snag the first goal for the game. Arthur and his rowdy teammates celebrated and even gave a little victory dance to rile up the other team. Gwaine was making faces, and Merlin knew that the game became more serious.

As the game intensified, Merlin found herself looking at Arthur, his face now void of any humor as he concentrated to kick the ball into the goalpost. Looking at him clearly now, Merlin could not deny why her head bodyguard was steadily gaining a group of fan girls. He actually was very handsome, with blond hair that seemed to be stylishly dishevelled, if that even made sense. His intense, blue eyes would twinkle brightly under the bright day and it held a certain intensity that compelled her to stare. His cheekbones were prominent and she wondered what they would feel like if she ran her fingers just across his face…

Blushing furiously, Merlin quickly caught her trail of thoughts. She was thankful that everybody was too mesmerized on the game to notice her red cheeks; questions might arise and she did not wish to answer any of them.

Perhaps, she thought, the rumors about her and Arthur should be viewed as bothersome after all.

* * *

The football match was brought to an end, with Arthur’s team winning with 2-1. In the middle of the game, Leon was able to make a goal, much to Gwaine’s delight, but Lancelot was able to goal soon after, garnering the loudest scream that Merlin heard from her roommate. It was nearing dinner, and her bodyguards begrudgingly ended the game, with Gwaine and his team vowing to take them down in their next football game.

Merlin was now being escorted back to the dormitories by her sweaty, tired bodyguards. Up front, Gwen was already twittering beside Lancelot. Freya went ahead to go back to her own dorm room, remembering that she still had a Parasitology project to finish.

The princess was almost at the back of the group, with Arthur flanking her side. She was unable to strike a conversation, her thoughts a while ago still freshly running in her mind. She was horrified to know that her cheeks would still flare up every time she would think about him, and chose to stay quiet to keep her composure. Princesses never lose their composure.

“Ugh!” Arthur exclaimed, all heads swivelling to look at him. A pained expression was on his face, his hand furiously rubbing the back of his neck.

“You all right, mate?” Percival asked, knitting his eyebrows in inquisition.

The head bodyguard shook them off with his other hand. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I think something bit me. It’s nothing.”

They accepted his response and resumed their trek back to the dormitories. Until, a loud thud was heard and Merlin gasped. Arthur was on the floor, facedown, and at the back of his neck, she could see black veins sprouting from what looked like a small bite.

“Bring him to his room!” Merlin ordered, her bodyguards now snapping off their stupor. Gwaine and Lancelot helped the unconscious Arthur up and quickly dragged him to his room. “Elyan, go fetch Professor Leech. Tell him it’s an emergency and Princess Merlin calls for him. Quick!”

Gwen’s brother sprinted without further ado.

Gwaine and Lancelot finally settled Arthur on his bed. Looks of panic were on their faces, and Merlin could feel her magic going haywire. Instinct told her something was definitely wrong, and Merlin had this huge inkling this was a work of magic.

Professor Leech came after a while, a panting Elyan following him.

“What happened?” he asked, eyes immediately magnetizing down on an unconscious Arthur. His black veins were starting to spread, and the professor’s face turned grim. “All right, all of you, out! I have to work without you constantly tittering!” Her bodyguards scuttled out without being told twice. Gwen reluctantly looked at Merlin. “It’s okay, Guinevere, the princess must stay.”

Her roommate nodded her head and quickly walked out of the room, leaving Merlin alone with the professor and the unconscious Arthur.

“Tell me what happened, Merlin,” Gaius said, busily rummaging inside his bag.

“Umm…” Merlin started, panicked. She paused, took deep breaths to calm herself down, and continued, “While we were walking back to our dormitories, Arthur claimed he was bitten by something. The next thing we know, he’s sprawled on the ground, unconscious.”

The professor made a thoughtful sound, now busily scanning an old, tattered book. He checked at Arthur’s bite wound, now an angry shade of black. Merlin shivered, watching as the black veins quickly spread all over his face.

“You think this is a work of… magic?” she asked, whispering the last word in fear.

Professor Leech did not offer any confirmation, but upon seeing his grave look, Merlin knew that it was. She impatiently waited as her professor continued to peruse his book. Merlin was itching to test her magic, to at least do something to help Arthur. Flashbacks of original Merlin ran through her mind; he always, _always_ managed to help Arthur. Dread pooled in her heart, wondering if she would fail as the protector of the Once and Future King.

The graveness disappeared on Professor Leech’s face as he rummaged once again in his bag and retrieved a vial with a colorful liquid inside. As he popped open the cork and assisted Arthur to swallow the concoction, he turned to Merlin, relieved. “It is good that called for me immediately. A minute later and he might have died.”

The princess blanched, watching as Arthur finally sputtered awake, the black veins on his face receding until they finally disappeared. Merlin spotted that the bite mark at the back of his head was healed, save from a scar that took its place.

“W-what happened?” Arthur weakly asked, trying to sit up. Merlin instinctively assisted him up until he was pressed against his headboard.

“You were bitten by an imp, sire,” Gaius said. Merlin and Arthur were too surprised by the information to react to Gaius’ address to bodyguard Arthur. “Normally, they are harmless creatures, albeit mischievous with a penchant for pranks.” Professor Leech then absentmindedly started fixing his things, and then continued, “But once it bites people, it becomes deadly. Their venom can be deadly, and cause death within minutes if not responded immediately.”

Merlin nervously looked at Arthur, convincing herself that he was now well and still very much alive. “But why?” she asked, confused.

“Why, of course, because he is _King_ Arthur,” he continued. “There is a reason why a fog clouds our minds when we are reincarnated – for protection. It protects you from being detected by other magical creatures. But once it was lifted, well, I’m afraid that protection was gone.”

Arthur grimaced. “Does this mean this won’t be the last of these… strange things?” he asked, now rubbing the back of his neck, right were the bite mark was.

Professor Leech merely gave him an apologetic smile.

“Great,” he said, plopping back on his bed. “But, this never happened before, back when I was younger!”

“You were protected back in the castle,” Gaius explained. “There were too many people, especially Uther. You do remember what terror your father caused to the magical population, yes?”

Both Arthur and Merlin cringed. How could they forget?

“But once you started attending this university, the creatures became bolder, despite the fact that you are with the great Emrys,” he said, gesturing at Merlin. “I believe more creatures would want to have a piece of the Once and Future King.”

Arthur sighed once again, now crossing his arms in annoyance.

“Well, I guess my job here is done,” Professor Leech said, rising from his seat. “If more emergencies arise, do not hesitate to call me, Princess Merlin.” He inclined his head in respect. “Good day.”

Once the professor was gone, Merlin rounded at Arthur, arms crossed. They could hear her other bodyguards flocking to ask questions to their professor, and Merlin took that opportunity to say, “Who needs protecting now?” she asked, prompting him to glare.

“Shut up, _Mer_ lin,” he grumbled, making her chuckle because she knew he was well enough now to call her that.


	9. Magic Magnet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More monsters are out to get our precious, precious prat.

“Duck!” she exclaimed as her spell came hurtling, singeing a few strands off Arthur’s pretty blond hair. Behind him was an awful grunt, as a huge creature, which he deduced was a minotaur, was hit by her stunning spell and collapsed on the forest ground.

Arthur crawled quickly towards the princess, mustering up all the adrenaline that he had left, and stood up. Blindly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her as far away from the school forest as possible. The head bodyguard could hear her furious breathing, but he did not dare slow down his steps. The princess did not emit a small complaint, until they emerged out from the forest. Arthur immediately came to a stop, surprising the princess, who tripped on her feet and fell on the ground.

For a moment, the two were merely catching their breath. Arthur watched as the princess’ head turned back to the forest, now slowly standing back on her feet, on guard once more. He shivered, feeling a strange sensation at the back of his neck, which he recently attributed to Merlin’s horrifyingly strange power. With bated breath, Arthur waited, even straining his ear to catch a familiar roar, but when minutes passed and the minotaur had not emerged, Princess Merlin once again unceremoniously plopped on the ground and sighed.

Her eyes swivelled, connected with Arthur, until they morphed into a glare. The bodyguard found himself feeling sheepish, which decreased the intensity of her stare. “Sorry,” he whispered as he clutched both her arms and helped her up, absentmindedly thinking how she felt so light, like a feather.

Arthur scanned his surroundings, relieved that no other creature, human and non-human alike, were present to see the current state of the Crown Princess and her head bodyguard. Judging from the color of the inky black sky, it was somewhere past midnight, which meant their ‘little ‘adventure’ took almost three hours to end.

Beside him, the princess sighed, smoothing her dishevelled and dirtied skirt. Arthur lightly cringed, shooting a look at her high-heeled clad feet, and wondered how much it might have hurt for her to be running on those shoes. He silently thanked the gods above that even if he was the reincarnation of the blasted Once and Future King, he was not made into a girl into this lifetime.

That would be such a pain in the arse, he mused.

Sighing, the princess rounded at him – arms crossed, eyes narrowed, lips pressed. Arthur raised his hand in defense, growing more sheepish with her glares.

“Hey,” he started, “I can’t help it! They just get magically attracted at me or something.”

“I should have anticipated this,” the princess grumbled, her lips now turning into an annoyed pout. “You were such a magic magnet even back when the Great Merlin and the Legendary King Arthur existed!”

He couldn’t help it, he _smiled_ , because reminiscing about their adventures in the past made him concur with her exclamation.

To his surprise, the princess hit his arm. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing his smarting arm.

“You’re _smiling?!_ ” she exclaimed shrilly, very un-princess-like. “We almost _died_ back there!”

“But of course, the ever great _Mer_ lin came swooping down to the rescue,” he mocked, a teasing grin on his face. The princess made a move to hit him again, but Arthur was able to move away in time, prompting Merlin to grumble under her breath.

Arthur boisterously laughed and pulled Merlin towards the direction of their dorm rooms. “I’m sorry,” he once again said, his eyes now softening because he actually _meant_ it.

Professor Leech’s warning came true after all. Ever since Merlin’s mind was defogged, her head bodyguard seemed to be attracting an awful amount of magical creatures, both tame and dangerous alike. Mentally, he counted that the minotaur was their fifteenth encounter, and the bodyguard had an inkling it would not be the last.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur whispered once more, this time with actual remorse. His guilt even stemmed back to their original counterparts because, totally oblivious, he had been saved countless times by his manservant. And he never even got the credit he deserved!

He heard the princess sigh, and she halted in her steps. Princess Merlin turned around and looked at him, no trace of irritation found on her face. “You are such a magic magnet,” was all she could say before turning around and trekking back to her dorm room.

Arthur grinned, catching a small smile on the princess’ face before she turned back around. _‘Magic magnet,’_ he mused. 

He thought it was fitting.

* * *

The princess sneaked inside her room, careful not to wake a slumbering Elyan ( _"_ Why is he always sleeping!" her bodyguard claimed). Thankfully, Gwen was asleep inside, still wearing her reading glasses and an empty mug of coffee lightly held by her right hand. Slowly, she walked towards her roommate’s bed to grab her comforter, and then placed it on Gwen’s slumbering form.

Her eyes scanned her roommate’s desk, weird pictures of metabolic pathways greeting her eyes, and she pitied both Gwen and Freya. She was awfully glad she did not take up a pre-med course.

Merlin walked towards the loo, hoping to take a quick shower to tidy herself up before going to sleep. Grimacing, she could already imagine what torture tomorrow would be since she did not get enough sleep to last her for the day.

 _‘I guess I must down a few cups of coffee, then,’_ she thought, already discarding her clothes and climbing into her bathtub. As the hot water soothed her aching body, Merlin mused of the events today and the prior happenings involving her, her bodyguard, and magical creatures.

It was, simply put, the most tiring week of her life. It even topped her dancing lessons with Señor Manuel and etiquette training with Madame Morgeaux! Ever since she remembered who she truly was, strange events had been constantly happening. True, when she was young, there were a few encounters here and there, but mostly she thought it was because she was young and innocent, and most probably her magic was still uncontrollable and tantalizing to the magical creatures.

But this was different! After saving him from a magical creature, Arthur would once again be miraculously endangered by another creature.

Sighing, Merlin wondered how her original counterpart could endure such obstacles, especially when magic was outlawed back then. Today, although her family still wanted her to keep her magic a secret, it was not exactly prohibited. She could still practice it, in secret, without fearing for her life.

It was tiring to save Arthur hither thither, but surprisingly, Merlin secretly felt… _giddy_. It was probably a shallow word to describe her emotions, but she did not care. Every time Arthur’s life was once again put into danger, her magic hummed with familiarity, as if this was the _sole reason_ why she was alive – to protect the Once and Future King. Remembering the words of an old friend, she and Arthur were two sides of the same coin, and saving him countless times gave her a sense of purpose that she hadn’t felt before.

Growing up as a princess, she always had this inkling that she never belonged, but now, saving her head bodyguard from different magical creatures again and again, well, it felt like this was her place. This was where she should be.

* * *

It was a particularly mundane afternoon. Merlin and her band of bodyguards were seen lounging near the Lake of Avalon. The princess was leaning against her favourite oak tree, typing her literature homework furiously on her laptop. Merlin was passionate in stating her numerous opinion why _Romeo and Juliet_ was not exactly Shakespeare’s best work. Although their love was classic, Merlin didn’t really fancy herself into thinking that the whole book was _romantic_. Not that she was insulting Shakespeare’s works, of course. ‘Macbeth’ was one of her most favourite stories, but ‘Romeo and Juliet’ wasn’t really her thing. In fact, she thought it was a little morbid how their painstakingly brief love affair ended in death.

 _‘If Romeo and Juliet didn’t rush their love and got to know each other while trying to end the feud between their families, perhaps it would be a better love story,’_ she thought, typing away.

Closest to her was Gwaine and Percival, playing a game of chess. Lancelot was reading a book recommended to him by his girlfriend. Leon was lying down on Lancelot’s left leg, browsing his Facebook account on his phone. Her head bodyguard, on the other hand, seemed blissfully unaware of the happenings around as he slumbered on his back. It seemed like it was only Elyan who was actually doing some schoolwork.

“Aren’t you going to make your essays?” Merlin asked, disgruntled at their complacency.

“Eh,” Percival mumbled, moving one of his horses. “Will do it later.”

The princess rolled her eyes. “You do realize that Gwaine’s been cheating on you?” she shot back, smiling innocently at Gwaine’s glare.

Percy looked scandalized. “No wonder you kept on winning!” he growled, lunging towards the laughing Gwaine.

“Oh, Percy,” he teased, breaking away from his muscular arms, “you’ve always been a slow one, eh?”

Gwaine and Percival broke into a childish chase, prompting the princess to roll her eyes once more. “Boys,” she mumbled, making Lancelot smile.

The ruckus the two made woke up Arthur, who was now throwing crumpled papers at the two for disturbing his sleep.

“Honestly,” she puffed, turning to the amused Lancelot, who long abandoned his book to watch the other three. “Why’d you always fancy yourself in petty fights?”

Gwen’s boyfriend grinned. “One must never generalize, my lady,” he said, shaking his head. 

Leon chuckled and winked at the princess, making her scowl.

Her bodyguards were starting to get under skin, probably in both a bad and a good way. Bad, because they’re starting to get cheeky around her, sometimes forgetting to be polite on lazy afternoons like this. And good because, well, she felt like she had a set of big brothers she had always, _always_ coveted even when she was younger.

“Why are you so uptight today, princess?” Gwaine asked, suddenly appearing beside her. His little fight with Percival ended, and the said muscular man was now having a conversation with Elyan and Arthur.

Merlin crossed her arms and glared at him. “If you must know, we have an essay due tomorrow and here I am, trying to peacefully finish mine, while you lot create some annoying ruckus!” she cried.

“Aww,” Gwaine said, bending down to snatch her laptop

“Hey!” she cried, but her bodyguard was too tall for her to reach.

Her bodyguard blinked at the blaring screen and read aloud a passage from her essay. “‘Great love stories take time’,” he read, prompting for her cheeks to redden in embarrassment. "‘Feelings cannot be rushed. Perhaps, by then, the so-called happily ever after will be achieved’.” He laughed boyishly and looked down at the annoyed Merlin. “Aww, princess, I didn’t know you are a romantic by heart.”

Merlin made a move to snatch back her essay and thankfully, Gwaine allowed her. Her cheeks increased in intensity as she found out that all her bodyguards were now looking at her, teasing looks on their faces. She rounded at Gwaine, eyes flaring. He was always, _always_ the most difficult one to handle. “I can send you to prison, you know,” she threatened.

Behind her, head bodyguard Arthur chuckled. “For what?” he asked, mirth in his voice. “For stating the truth?”

Merlin crossed her arms and scowled. “So what if I’m romantic at heart?” she defended, hugging her laptop for comfort. “If destinies and magic are proven to be true, then true love could be, too!” She pointedly looked at Arthur, daring him to object, but all he gave her was a handsome smile.

 _‘What a clotpole,’_ she thought, shifting her gaze away, feeling suddenly bothered.

“Aww,” Gwaine once again teased, prompting the others to laugh.

Her cheeks felt hotter this time. “Oh honestly!” she exclaimed, glaring at all her laughing bodyguards. “I’ll be in the library, you dolts.”

“Oooooh,” Leon cooed under his breath.

Merlin harrumphed and gathered her things, lifting her chin and turning away. She could hear her bodyguards, although still amused with her, clamouring to get up and follow her to the library.

Mentally, she wondered how they were all chosen to become her bodyguards. If her parents were here, oh especially her _mother_ , they would be the receiving end of a litany of reprimand about respect and chivalry and the likes. Unwittingly, she allowed herself to smile a bit, because although they could be a bunch of annoying clotpoles, they were her bodyguards – her _friends_ – and she liked it that way.

* * *

Merlin shrieked as Gwen and Freya bustled inside their dorm room, seemingly excited. Upon seeing the state of the princess, clad in her pajamas clutching an almost empty tub of ice cream, Gwen doubled over and laughed. Merlin was a mess after watching _The Help_ , eyes red-rimmed and dry tracks of tears on her cheeks. The princess thought that Gwen would come back late and decided to treat herself with a little me-time.

“Aww, look at you,” Gwen said, laughs subsiding as she brought Merlin into her arms. Freya laughed and joined the two, encircling her arms around the laughing Gwen and the disgruntled Merlin.

The princess sighed and pushed them away, unable to conceal a smile at their ridiculousness. “I thought you’ll come home late?”

Gwen and Freya looked at each other and grinned. “Guess who got exempted in their Epidemiology finals?” Freya squealed.

“Judging from the odd looks on your faces, I take it you got exempted?” Merlin asked, smiling at her friends.

Both Gwen and Freya shrieked and jumped around, chanting ‘We got exempted!’ again and again. Merlin chuckled and joined in their jumping.

“The subject’s that bad, huh?” the princess asked as soon as they calmed down.

Elyan’s sister made a face. “Probably the bane of my existence,” she said, plopping down on the couch. “I have no idea how I managed to get exempted from the final exam in the first place.” Freya sat down beside her friend and grinned up at Merlin.

“Anyway,” she started, “since it’s almost the end of the semester, there’s a Winter Ball coming up!”

“Hmm, yes, so I’ve heard,” Merlin said, sitting on the carpeted floor. Everywhere she went, people were twittering about what to wear, who to take to the dance, who they’re _hoping_ to take to the dance, and the scrumptious buffet taken care by the administration. Apparently, the Winter Ball in the University of Avalon was a hot topic not only to the college students in the said university but also outside, and Merlin could hear all the big stars that would perform on that night.

“We have to go dress shopping soon,” Gwen sighed, eyes faraway and perhaps dreaming about a certain Lancelot.

Merlin waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s not waste our time,” she said offhandedly. “I’m sure you still have other finals to attend to, and so do I.” She grinned at their frowns. “Don’t worry, I can call Mother and ask for the palace seamstress. I can ask her to make additional dresses for you two, as long as you give her a sketch of the dress or something.”

The princess chuckled at their synchronized squeals, bounding towards Merlin to give her a tight hug.

“Oh the perks of being the Crown Princess’ friend,” Freya sighed, placing a kiss on Merlin’s cheek.

Merlin merely grinned. “I know,” she said.

* * *

Princess Merlin softly chuckled as she briefly watched Gwaine snoring away, probably dreaming about one of his girls, before bounding towards the Lake of Avalon. A book of spells was hugged snuggling against her chest as she finally arrived. Due to the dizzying wave of academics and other princess-y stuff, Merlin didn’t have the time to practice her magic. With the semester ending, she finally found the perfect opportunity to do so.

“You really shouldn’t be running away at night.”

Merlin yelped, turning around with a hand against her heart. The person who surprised her toppled over after being hit by an invisible force, releasing a gasp of pain from his lips. Her eyes had just returned to their normal shade of blue when she realized it was Arthur who surprised her.

“Sorry,” she sheepishly said, reaching out a hand to help him up. “You shouldn’t have surprised me in the first place!”

Despite the dark, Merlin could see him roll his eyes. “Why are you out of your bedroom anyway?” he shot back. “It’s dangerous to roam around at night, especially a princess like you.”

Merlin made an unladylike snort. “ _Please_ ,” she retorted. “Between the two of us, it is _you_ that must be careful. I have magic anyway.”

“Of course,” Arthur answered, grinning at her. “But seriously, what are you doing here?”

She showed her little book of spells and waved it in front of his face. “I’ve been getting behind my training,” she said. “I just thought that today would be a nice day to practice some spells.”

“And Gwaine?”

“Asleep,” she said, chuckling.

“Figures,” Arthur sighed, shaking his head. “I think I should remind them once more the importance of staying awake and guarded.”

Merlin shook her head. “Oh, don’t be too hard on them,” she said. “Finals week just ended and everybody deserved a good night’s sleep. Which brings me to my next question – What are you doing here?”

The Once and Future King shrugged his shoulders and directed his eyes at the calm lake. “Hmm, I’m not really sure,” he said. “I just felt like going here, like the lake is… _beckoning_ me to do so.”

“Ah, the Lake of Avalon,” Merlin said. “The final resting place of the great Arthur Pendragon.” She gave him a sideways glance and saw him smile.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m not really sure if the rumors were true about this lake being iffy, but it does make you wonder, yes?”

She absentmindedly nodded her head and stared at the lake for a while. Flashbacks of original Merlin saying his final goodbyes to the dead king exploded in her brain, and she felt melancholic. The lingering ache blossomed in her heart and she wondered how the legendary warlock was able to live for a thousand more years after losing his best friend.

Shaking her head and her sadness away, Merlin walked towards her favourite oak tree and sat down. She conjured a small ball of light and started to peruse her spell book.

“Why’d you keep your magic a secret?” Arthur then inquired, quizzically looking at the engrossed princess.

“Well,” Merlin said, lifting her head to look at her head bodyguard, “that, I don’t really know. I’ve asked my parents about that countless of times, too. I mean, magic is not exactly that prohibited today. Many influential personalities now are practicing them openly, for goodness’ sake!” The princess sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I think it’s for my safety or something, since I’m the Crown Princess after all. Maybe some people will start to speculate since I have an uncanny resemblance to the Great Merlin himself. My parents just thought that bad things are bound to happen.”

Arthur chuckled, thinking it was ridiculous. “Even today, you keep your magic as a secret,” he said, regretting his words as soon as her face became forlorn.

“Right,” she sighed, once again looking down at her book. “I shouldn’t worry too much, though. My parents promised that once I become Queen, I can openly practice my magic already.”

“That’s good to hear,” he offered, and she nodded her head in concurrence.

For a while, Arthur watched as Merlin now started to put the spells she learned into practice. He was mesmerized with the way her lips curled, saying words that was foreign to his ears, or the way her hands seemed to sway to put emphasis on the spell. But on top of them all, he was drawn to her eyes – how they turn gold every time a spell was released before returning to their normal blue color.

It was the first time Arthur actually saw a person of magic produce some spells and he was already drawn.

By the time Merlin got tired of practicing, the sun was already hinting its rise. Wordlessly, the two journeyed back to their dormitories, exchanging yawns once in a while.

“Princess?” Arthur claimed as they neared their rooms. “Would you like to go to the Winter Ball with me?” It was a compulsive question, and Arthur mentally berated himself. “I-I mean, since you know, the arrangement will be better for the both of us since I can look after you, _you_ can look after _me_ , because there would be a lot of people and such.”

He ended his frantic blabbing as the princess turned around, cheeks strangely tinged red. “Of course, Arthur,” she said, giving him a pretty smile.

He didn’t realize he was holding his breath after he expelled a huge puff of air.

“I can’t afford to endanger my destiny now, can I?” she asked, her blush intensifying upon realizing her choice of words.

Arthur chuckled and bowed politely. “Yes, princess,” he answered.

“I’ll retire now, Arthur, good night,” Merlin said, inclining her head for a little bit.

“Good night,” he whispered, watching as she went inside and closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Arthur kicked Gwaine’s shin. As expected, he did not even stir. Sighing, Arthur neared his lips against Gwaine’s ears. “Gwaine, you idiot! How dare you leave me!” the head bodyguard exclaimed shrilly, mimicking a poor excuse of a woman’s voice. But that did the trick for the playboy jolted awake, eyes frantic and legs ready to take a mad dash away.

“I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t - ” A scowl grew on Gwaine’s face upon seeing that it was just his roommate. “Arthur!” he complained. The head bodyguard hit the back of his head and shook his head.

“Keep awake,” he ordered, unfazed by Gwaine’s glare.

“Yeah, yeah, good night Arthur,” he said, shooing him away.

Arthur smiled, bid his good night, and went to his own room.


	10. In the Time of Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ball. A perpetrator. An ancient magic. 
> 
> Plot twists everywhere hmm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes are suspended tomorrow so I have an extra time to spare. Also, I really really really want to post this chapter to finally start the REAL adventure. 
> 
> Thank you for the kudos, bookmarks and comments!

“My oh my, how the boys will gape.”

Merlin grinned and twirled around for Gwen and Freya, who both giddily clapped their hands. The princess chuckled and hugged both of her friends, before pulling away and musing how wonderful they both looked today.

As what she had promised for the Winter Ball, Merlin asked for the royal seamstress to make dresses for her roommate and their friend. Guinevere was stunning in a red, floor-length dress, hugging her just at the right curves. Merlin couldn’t wait to see Lancelot’s reaction once seeing his girlfriend. Freya, who chose not to wear her odd-shaped spectacles, was beautiful in a midnight blue dress, this time billowy as opposed to Gwen’s curve-hugging dress.

The princess, on the other hand, was wearing her signature old rose-colored dress. Ever since she was young, her mother always chose for her to wear such shades of colors because it brought out the brightness of her blue eyes. Her dress was simple, yet elegant, with pink, petal-like designs embroidered on the long skirt.

“You look wonderful,” the princess sighed. “ _Both_ of you.”

Freya prettily blushed and fidgeted a little. “Of course, nobody can beat you, Princess Merlin,” she complimented back, prompting the future queen to chuckle.

“Well, shall we?” she asked, hooking both of her arms to Gwen and Freya. “I’m sure the boys are already dying with boredom.”

Gwen and Freya exchanged a secret glance, a conversation regarding the princess and her head bodyguard running through their minds. Wordlessly, they wondered how Arthur would react upon seeing Merlin.

* * *

Arthur should have anticipated this.

Women always had this weird habit of taking a long time to dress up. He wondered if it was innate in all the women in the world. Glancing around the corridors of the dormitory, he observed that only a few women could be seen roaming around, about to go to the reception hall for the Winter Ball. He had this inkling most were still inside, prettying themselves up.

The head bodyguard sighed and looked at his watch. The princess seemed to have this knack of being late for her appointments and activities. He knew that a princess is supposed to be prompt, but Merlin always overlooked this fact. She really overlooks a lot of facts, now that he thought about it. It still made him feel weird that their roles were reversed, that he was the one doing the _serving_ in this lifetime. Ever since he was young, he had always been awarded for his exceptional leadership skills. That was why it was not surprising that he was chosen to become the head bodyguard of the Crown Princess. But now assuming his role as such, he was more of a personal bodyguard to the princess than a leader to her group of bodyguards. And it made him feel odd, because he was not used to it at all.

He had been observing Merlin for months already and he knew that most of the time, she was uncomfortable with her title. Whispered conversations at night made her share some of her insights as a princess, how she sometimes felt she did not _belong_ , and wished to feel ordinary even just for a day. Those were the times when Arthur mused and wondered as to the real reason why in this lifetime, their roles were reversed. Their past incarnations always stuck to the roles of the originals, and it was only now when reversal occurred, making Arthur think that this lifetime was _special_.

Something big was about to happen.

But, despite all the discomforts and odd feelings, Arthur surprisingly felt satisfied serving the future queen of their country. It taught him a lot of things he never learned prior to becoming the head bodyguard. His position was humbling, there he say it, especially because he always was a king or a leader in his past reincarnations. There were times when he pondered that perhaps this was destiny’s way of rewarding him and Merlin for a job well done every time they were reborn – that maybe it was time that the mighty King Arthur stepped down from his throne and relieve him from his kingly duties. Maybe it was time that the loyal, legendary Merlin be rewarded with a title and prestige for being a faithful servant through and through.

His musings were broken as the sound of Princess Merlin’s door opening reached his ears. For some strange reason, the giggles from the room made him nervous. He now slightly regretted not accompanying Leon and the rest of the gang to the hall to wait for their respective dates.

It was Gwen who stepped out first, followed by Freya, and finally the princess. He had seen her dressed up in the past balls back in the castle, all right, but today was uncomfortably different that Arthur had to hold his breath as Merlin walked towards him. Gwen was whisked away by an equally flustered Lancelot and Freya was nowhere to be found. It was strange because the people who were in the hall a few minutes before seemed to desert the said place and only he and Merlin were left alone.

“Arthur?” the princess asked, eyebrows drawing together, confused with his lack of greeting.

“Oh, right, of course,” he said, bowing exaggeratedly, much to her surprise. His cheeks flared up more when her eyes lit up with humor when he offered his arm and she accepted.

The head bodyguard was mentally kicking himself for suddenly being hot and bothered. He blamed it at the rumors circulating about him and Merlin, because he never really thought of her in such a light! They’d been friends, _always_ friends, and perhaps even best friends and Arthur remembered all the trust that his reincarnations had put on the great Merlin. It just so happens that they now live in a modern world where gossips run like wildfire and people tend to speculate too much.

“You all right there?”

“Hmm?” Arthur asked, lightly shaking his head to remove any residual bothering thoughts. “Yes, princess, I’m quite all right.”

Something warm pooled in his heart and he couldn’t help but to grin. “Idiot,” he murmured in habit, momentarily forgetting that he was talking to the future queen of their country. But Merlin didn’t seem to mind. In fact, her smile brightened as they approached the reception hall.

Gossipers are idiots, was all he could think about. He and Merlin were merely friends, always has and always will be.

* * *

Headmaster Stronghold offered a seat for the princess in front, which Merlin politely declined. She wanted to feel like a student for tonight, not someone important, and celebrate the end of the semester with her friends. She had this inkling the headmaster was instructed by her parents and Merlin made a mental note to add a condition to her ever growing list to her parents. Besides, she was with her trusted bodyguards. She knew they’d be damned if ever something happened to her.

Speaking of her bodyguards, Gwaine was making a beeline toward her, prompting her to role her eyes. Behind him was an obviously fuming Arthur and Merlin wondered what Gwaine had done to him once more.

“Your highness, always stunning,” Gwaine said, bowing in respect, before offering his hand. “May I have this dance?”

The song was slightly upbeat and her feet were starting to kill her. But Madame Margeaux always reminded her never to decline a gentleman’s offer for a dance. Although Gwaine was a far cry from being one, Merlin still accepted. It seemed to rile up Arthur more, she observed.

As they swayed and Gwaine continued to become cheeky, the princess’ eyes always magnetized towards her brooding head bodyguard. The ball had been happening for hours now, and judging from the steadily depleting number of people to do god-knows-what, the end of the Winter Ball was nearing. Before Arthur could even ask her for a dance, one of their classmates in literature asked to take her to the dance floor and of course, she agreed. He was a mild-mannered, quiet young man, and apparently dull and the princess was thankful their dance had ended soon. Her other bodyguards then clamoured around her, asking for a dance, just to annoy the hell out of their leader.

Gwaine already had his second round, but mischief still burned in his eyes as he made victorious faces at Arthur. Merlin found their little game amusing and couldn’t help but agree to their requests just to see how annoyed Arthur would become.

“Aww, look at him,” Gwaine whispered, chuckling under his breath. “Poor Artie, unable to dance with his princess.”

Merlin’s cheeks reddened. “I’m not _anyone’s_ princess,” she shot back, lifting her chin in defiance.

He looked at her, eyes twinkling, and grinned. “Of course, princess, if you say so,” he lightly concurred, but the mischief still never left his eyes. “But, pray tell, are there any… hmm… development between you two?”

She was scandalized and it took all of her willpower not to stomp his feet with the heel of her pointy shoes. “Gwaine!” she exclaimed, now glaring at his laughing form. “Those rumors are ridiculous. I will not tolerate such frivolities just for your own entertainment.” _‘Git,’_ she mentally added.

“Now the princess is all riled up,” he said, making a move to pinch her cheek, but she glared harder and he retreated. “Pardon, pardon, I may or may not have drank too much tonight.” Merlin sighed, holding her breath as his alcohol-laden breath washed over her face. She made a mental note to berate her bodyguard in the morrow.

Finally, the song ended, and Gwaine made an exaggerated bow for his exit. “Have a nice night, your highness,” he said, this time looking at her with sincerity. “You deserve it.”

Merlin gave him a smile and shook her head. Sometimes, Gwaine would be such a sweet guy, but then he’d open his mouth again and spoil the moment. Her bodyguard sashayed towards the other gang, probably to scout for more girls, which made her sigh once more.

The princess was about to go take a drink, but an exasperated Arthur came into view. “Finally,” he muttered, making her laugh. “I can’t believe you’re enjoying their teasing!” His cheeks reddened in embarrassment and annoyance, glaring darkly at the future queen of the country. The Arthur in the modern world was far too polite and kind than the clotpole King Arthur, and for Merlin to see her bodyguard like this – petulant and snarky – made her dearly miss her home back in Camelot.

Headmaster Stronghold already announced that the Winter Ball will end soon. Arthur bowed down and offered his hand hastily before another git robbed him from his rightful dance with the princess.

Merlin smiled and held his hand as he directed her near the center of the dance floor. Thankfully it was a slow song; she would not be required to make complicated footwork just to match the fast beats.

“You could have asked other girls to dance,” she suggested, lifting her eyes to look at him. “You made it too easy for the others, you know.”

He scowled at her chuckles. “Yes, thank you, I’m sorry for keeping an eye on the future queen of this country,” he seethed, glaring down at her. “I’ll try to keep that suggestion in my mind.”

“Oh Arthur,” she said, shaking her head, “I’m dancing with my other bodyguards. Don’t you have any trust in them?”

He colored, realizing that she made sense, and merely frowned in brooding. “I just…” he sputtered out, not meeting her eyes. “Well… I was your _date_! I have more right than them!”

For some strange reason, those words made her a little uncomfortable. “Of course,” she said quietly, giving him a gentle smile. “I am your date after all.”

It still surprised her when Arthur asked her for the dance. Although she knew they would be inseparable today due to his duties toward her, it was still strange that he asked her for the Winter Ball.

Her eyes gradually connected with his own blue ones and once again, she was struck how _handsome_ Arthur was. Her cheeks grew hot under his gaze, but Merlin couldn’t seem to look away. It annoyed her to bits and pieces because it was the first time she felt like this. She was privileged to dance with a lot of prince charmings even at a very young age, and most of them were much more handsome than her head bodyguard. But they never made her feel like this.

“You know,” Arthur slowly said, cutting her off from her musings, “I still can’t believe you’re a girl.”

“ _What_?!”

The head bodyguard sheepishly grinned. “No offense,” he hastily added. “I’m just, you know, so used to the idea that you’re a gangly young man, running around and tripping on things” – Arthur chuckled – “but now, look at you… a _girl_.”

“And a princess, thank you very much,” Merlin added as a reminder.

“Yeah, yeah, that too,” he said, sighing in disbelief. “Honestly? This just made you much more annoying than befo – OWW!”

Heads swivelled at their direction, but Merlin was too busy glaring at him. “And you’ll always be the insufferable clotpole, yeah?” she shot back, prompting him to grin.

“I wouldn’t be Arthur Pendragon now, would I?” he said, complete with a cheeky grin.

Merlin sighed once more but couldn’t help but to smile. No, she thought, he wouldn’t be Arthur Pendragon if he wasn’t.

The song soon drew to an end. Arthur smiled and stopped swaying, with Merlin following suit. Students were now swarming either out of the reception hall or toward the buffet for last minute snacks. The professors were already retiring to their respective rooms while school janitors were already cleaning the room.

The two sauntered towards the other bodyguards, or what was left of them. Lancelot and Gwen were nowhere to be found, so was Gwaine and probably some girl (or girls, really) left earlier. Elyan, Leon, and Percival greeted the princess with tired, tipsy smiles.

“Had fun?” Leon teasingly asked, mostly directed at Arthur, who in return answered with a glare.

Merlin smiled. “I’ll be off to the comfort room first before we go back to our rooms,” she said. Arthur made a move to accompany her, but she raised her hand. “Oh honestly, I can do it myself,” she interjected, when the other three also automatically made a move to follow her. “No one will grab me or kidnap me or whatever scenarios you have in mind.” Arthur was the most persistent, but Merlin put her foot down. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

Finally, Arthur relented, but his eyes still worriedly followed the princess until she walked out of the room.

* * *

It was fairly an uneventful journey to the nearest ladies comfort room. Most students already retired to their respective rooms or to god-knows-where for an after party, therefore making the corridors almost deserted. Merlin was already tired from today’s ball, although it was particularly more fun than the other balls she was required to attend.

Thankfully, the loo was empty. Merlin took that opportunity to calm herself down from all the swirling emotions in her heart. She stared at the mirror, grimacing at how pink her cheeks were, and tried to fan herself to cool down. Her mother would have a fit if she saw her state, frazzled and unkempt. She allowed herself to chuckle for a bit, thinking she was being ridiculous for fawning over an ordinary boy. _‘Which actually is not ordinary but the celebrated King Arthur himself,’_ she mused, shaking her head to clear those thoughts away. She dreaded the fact that perhaps she might be sporting a crush on her destiny.

The princess sighed and proceeded to retouch her make-up, all the while thinking how weird the turn of events was. Maybe it was because after remembering all her past reincarnations, it comforted her that she was able to share this burden with Arthur, making her mistake comfort with fancy. _‘As the future queen,’_ she firmly told herself, _‘you have no time to become frivolous, Merlin Emrys.’_

She nodded firmly as if to fully support her claim. The princess smoothed out invisible creases on her dress, shot one last look at her reflection, before walking out of the loo and back to the reception hall.

The corridor was completely deserted now, and Merlin couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. Apparently, she might be too tired, already imagining stuff that made her a little jumpy. However, she could feel her magic going haywire, as if ringing bells of alarm. The princess briefly turned her head around, senses heightened in case danger was around, but upon seeing that the corridors were still deserted, she breathed a relieved sigh.

Merlin laughed a little, thinking she was being ridiculous, but the laugh died down as a person clad in black appeared right before her.

“Hello, your highness.”

A scream escaped from her lips as the man pounced at her, dragging her away from the reception hall.

* * *

Arthur looked at his watch, impatient and worried that the princess had not yet come back.

Only a few groups of students were found inside the reception hall, including the incomplete band of bodyguards to the princess. Still, the said future queen was nowhere to be found.

“I think I should look for the princess,” Arthur said, looking at the others. They mirrored his worried expression, and made a move to follow him. “No, stay here. She might come back.” _‘Hopefully,’_ he added in his mind. “Be on the look out, though. I have this bad feeling…” He let the words hanging, hoping for the best, as he dashed out of the reception hall to search for the princess. A familiar scream then reached his ears, and his blood ran cold.

Arthur followed the sound, now with a mixture of muffle shrieks and angry snarls, whilst mentally berating himself for not insisting to accompany the princess. He finally spotted the princess, being dragged by a masked person. “STOP!” he exclaimed, drawing attention to himself. Merlin’s eyes widened upon seeing him, and her shrieks grew frantic, her actions now erratic as she tried to breakaway from her perpetrator.

The black-clad man ran faster upon seeing Arthur. The head bodyguard released a string of obscenities that could make Gwaine proud, depending on his adrenaline to make him run faster.

He could already feel the magic radiating off from the princess. The lights in the deserted corridor were flickering due to her unleashed power, and Arthur hoped he would never be the receiving end of such raw power.

The man brought them outside of the university. Arthur was hoping that there would be students around, because normally there would be, but to his dismay, it was only the three of them around. Squinting his eyes in the dark, he could make out an outline of a boat floating on the Lake of Avalon. 

“STOP!” he exclaimed once more, now bolting faster as they reached the banks of the lake. The unnamed man was already scrambling towards his small boat, but Arthur lunged towards him, toppling the three of them to the ground. Princess Merlin crawled free, watching as her head bodyguard and the perpetrator wrestled.

Arthur once again cursed himself for forgetting to bring any weapon tonight. He remembered placing his gun on his bed table, meaning to bring it, but he was too nervous about his date tonight with the princess that he forgot about it. Amidst their wrestle, the unnamed man was able to draw out a knife and started slashing to and fro. Arthur was thankful for his trainings for he was able to dodge away, albeit barely.

The head bodyguard managed to put the man in a headlock while also trying to shake away his weapon, but the man was able to thrust his knife forward and form a huge gash on Arthur’s right arm. Arthur cried out in pain, loosening his grip with the culprit, who kicked Arthur away and scrambled up.

It was also at that time when Merlin screamed bloody murder, drawing attention to herself. Both Arthur and the man watched as her eyes turned a blinding shade of gold while weird storm clouds formed overhead. The man shrank away in fear, but Merlin released a great surge of magic towards him, knocking him far away into the lake. Unfortunately, Arthur was also knocked away from the huge force, landing into the tumultuous Lake of Avalon, and sank down.

“ARTHUR!” Merlin screamed, panicked, as she mindlessly dove into the water to search for her bodyguard. The current grew stronger, pushing Merlin deeper and deeper into the waters. She was able to spot her unconscious bodyguard, and swam desperately towards him. She grabbed his arm and with all the adrenaline and magic she could muster, swam both of themselves back to the surface and toward the lake shore.

She dragged Arthur’s unconscious form on land and sank against him, relieved. He was breathing, thank the gods, and Merlin made a move to wake him up but exhaustion was starting to take over. Her body still couldn’t handle releasing too much magic for a day.

Unconsciousness was slowly taking over her, but before she could succumb to darkness, Merlin heard the a strange ensemble of frantic hooves and familiar shouts.


	11. Ancient Camelot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Camelot, Princess Merlin and Bodyguard Arthur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YASSSS PLOT TWIST!!!

Arthur woke up with a jolt, furiously sputtering out water out of his lungs. Oxygen rapidly filled inside, heaving heavily to aid the process, as he now blearily looked around in a place with endless trees and bushes. He racked his brain, trying to remember what happened. A flurry of masked men and pink dresses entered his mind as he grew paler and paler in remembrance.

“MERLIN!” he bellowed, searching desperately for the princess. His heart skipped, eyes landing on the unconscious form of the princess beside him. Arthur scrambled towards Merlin and reached for her wrist, feeling for a pulse. Thankfully, it was there, albeit faint. “Princess, come on,” he muttered under his breath, fussing over the unconscious girl. “Come on, wake up.”

An ensemble of hooves and shouts reached his ears and he lifted his head, hoping for help. What greeted him though was a surprise, for before him was Leon, Elyan, Percival and Gwaine, emotions of mixed relief and worry, but they were _different_ at the same time. He noticed that they were in armors, looking as if they were knights who stepped out of a fairytale book. And their looks… oh Leon would freak if he wore his hair as long as the hair of his strange lookalike.

“King Arthur!” he exclaimed, climbing down from his horse ( _‘Horse!’_ ) without even waiting for it to stop. “Oh thank the gods, it is really _you_ , Arthur!”

The other bodyguards – more fittingly _knights_ – followed suit and flocked towards him. For a moment, Arthur tried to recall if their Winter Ball was supposedly a costume party, but looking at his normal suit and tie, and Merlin’s ball gown convinced him otherwise.

Dread steadily pooled into Arthur’s heart.

_Something was not right._

Percival helped him up, his familiar biceps greeting him, exposed by his sleeveless chainmail. Arthur’s knees were still wobbly from the drowning and the astonishing sight in front of him. Elyan took a step forward to help support him, and Arthur gladly leaned against him.

“ _Where_ have you bloody been?” Gwaine exclaimed. He tugged his horse forward, meaning to let him ride it.

“Come on,” Leon commanded. “We must first bring him back to the castle. Gaius must look at him. He seems wounded” – he pointedly looked at his wounded arm – “and… _shaken_.”

“W-what?” Arthur breathed out, confused. _‘Castle? Gaius?’_

Percival and Elyan helped Arthur mount the horse, but he jerked away, remembering Merlin. “NO!” he cried. “I’m bloody all right!” His crazed, frantic eyes seemed to startle them, following his line of vision toward the unconscious girl. “Bring her. _Help_ her! She’s unconscious, can’t you see? I’m all right! Help her, please, gods, _help her_!”

Gwaine rushed forward, alarmed by the desperate tone in Arthur’s voice. He knelt down, scooping Merlin up into his arms, and bringing her to Elyan’s horse. Percival and Elyan wordlessly helped Arthur to mount the horse again. They then started thejr journey to somewhere Arthur didn’t know.

Their travel was silent, but he could feel the questioning looks directed towards him and the unconscious girl. Leon had been eyeing his strange attire for minutes, but he didn’t dare raise any question, which relieved Arthur immensely.

Despite the growing darkness in the forest, Arthur noted with horror that they were not in the university anymore. The Lake of Avalon was still right where it should be, but the school buildings were replaced with endless greenery. He wondered if he was dreaming, if he was still unconscious, but everything – the sound, the smell, the surroundings – felt strongly vivid and tangible.

They were nearing a clearing. At the same time, his heart pounded loudly in his chest, anticipation building due to something unknown. He had seen this place before… he had been _here_ before, or at least the original Once and Future King had been. Afar, he could already see a castle, a _beautiful_ castle, and for a moment, Arthur Pendragon felt his heart stop.

They were back in Camelot.

* * *

He and the still unconscious Merlin were immediately brought inside a small room, greeting him with strange fumes and fogs of color swirling around. Seated on a workbench was the familiar face of his medieval history professor’s past life.

Leon helped Arthur to lie down on a vacant cot while Gwaine carried Merlin into another one beside him.

“Thank you, Sirs,” he said, his eyes twinkling with relief and worry as they darted towards Arthur. He looked back at the knights, who were all now gathered around, before sighing. “I must tend to the King now. Perhaps you have other duties to attend to?”

Hesitant looks appeared on their faces, prompting the Court Physician to smile. “I will call you once I’m done tending to Arthur,” he said, reassuring the knights. They darted one last look at their king, before bidding goodbye. Soon, the door was closed behind them and Gaius turned to Arthur.

The bodyguard immediately sat up, which made him dizzy due to blood loss. He rested his hand against the brick wall while Gaius quickly rushed toward him. “No!” he exclaimed, halting the Court Physician. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, exhausted. “Stop, please.” When he opened his eyes, he was desperate… _determined_. “Just I… I’m okay,” he continued.

“Sire,” Gaius said, worriedly looking at him as if he had gone bonkers. “Let me tend to your wound.”

“ _Sire_ ,” Arthur echoed, prompting the old man to close his mouth in surprise. “I-I am not…” He paused and took a deep breath, intently staring at Gaius. “I… I am _not_ your king” – Gaius’ eyes widened in disbelief – “ _No_! You wouldn’t understand. I am not just…” His words died down as he fearfully looked at the princess, who was now trembling in her wet dress. She looked awfully pale. “Just tend to her first and leave me in peace.”

It was clear that Gaius was in a state of shock, but he slowly turned his attention to the unconscious girl and heeded Arthur’s request. The bodyguard blearily watched the Court Physician tend to Merlin, slowly slumping back on the cot as exhaustion was taking over once more.

His mind was racing with everything that had happened. Panic gripped his heart, but he was too exhausted to take some action. Sleep was slowly taking over and soon, Arthur fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 Gaius was confused.

As he brought the soothing salve towards the slumbering girl, he couldn’t help but wonder what King Arthur was blabbering about. The said king was already brought to his chambers to rest. Now, all that was left was the girl, and she still hadn’t woken up. She was pallid and shaking, making Gaius wonder as to what horrors this girl might have faced to be reduced in such a state. He just hoped that she would wake up soon to answer his numerous questions.

 _‘What does he mean he’s not the king?’_ he mused, absentmindedly applying the salve on some of her wounds. She twitched under his touch, but still slept. There was a crazed look on Arthur’s face as he rambled about himself, and Gaius reckoned that his abduction might have shaken his poor mind to spout ridiculous words. He made a mental note to visit the king later and examine his mind for anything sickly or, horrifyingly, _magical_.

The girl on the cot stirred and Gaius took a step back. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open, and he was struck with how familiar her wide, blue eyes were. Scrunching his eyebrows together, he held his breath as she looked around, utter confusion on her face. Once her eyes landed on him, a gasp escaped from her mouth. She quickly sat up, this action making her dizzy, and she lightly clutched her cot to keep her steady.

“P-professor Leech, w-what happened?” she rasped out, throat still dry from exhaustion.

Gaius frowned. “Pardon?” he asked, not sure why she was calling him as such.

She stared at him, long and hard. “Professor Leech,” she stated, this time stronger.

“Hmm,” he hummed, putting the salve aside. “My name is Gaius and you must have mistaken me for your, err… professor.” He cleared his throat, steadily growing uncomfortable as the girl frowned. “I am the Court Physician of this kingdom and the knights found you unconscious near the Lake of Avalon.”

Realization seemed to dawn on her face as she paused for a few minutes, eyes growing wider each minute. “Arthur!” she breathed out, fear forming on her face.

“The king is well, my dear girl,” he said, giving her a reassuring nod. “He is now in his bedchambers and resting.”

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening more if it was even possible. “K-king?” she breathlessly whispered. Gaius was becoming more confused now. She started to chew her bottom lip, her mind seemingly racing in deep thought. Finally, her wide eyes snapped back at him, this time horror and understanding on her face. “I’m not in the university anymore, am I?”

“U-university?” Gaius stumbled, frowning. “What a strange name for a kingdom. But to answer your question, I believe you are not. You’re now in Camelot.”

He watched as the girl took a sharp intake of breath, before releasing a string of words Gaius didn’t understand but knew were too improper for a girl to speak. His cheeks colored, scandalized, but the girl started to burst into loud, guttural sobs as she tried to stand up and reach out for him. Gaius quickly rushed toward her side, steadying her down to keep her from toppling over.

“Oh gods, oh gods, Gaius,” she blabbed, burying her face against his clothes. “I… you wouldn’t understand. I-I’m not from here, oh gods, you must help me.”

The Court Physician wordlessly patted her back, a strange feeling of familiarity pooling in his heart. “All right, all right,” he said, not really knowing what he could provide for help. “But for now, you must rest again. We will talk once you are well.”

She hastily nodded her head, wiping away her tears. Gaius couldn’t bear to look at her eyes because they were _so_ familiar and it terrified him. He sauntered to his shelves of potions and grabbed a sleeping draught. He gave it to the girl, who gladly drank it, and watched as she finally succumbed back to sleep.

Gaius sighed and wearily set the empty bottle aside. Here was he, thinking that the girl would answer his questions, but all he got were more unresolved questions.

* * *

Arthur woke up once more in a strange place.

Red and gold decorated the warm, comfortable room, with the Pendragon crest proudly scattered around. The bodyguard thickly swallowed, for this was the king’s room in Camelot, _his_ room, which strongly supported the fact that he was actually back in Ancient Camelot.

He was distracted by a dull ache on his right arm, noting that his wound was now dressed with a clean bandage. He then remembered that the Princess Merlin was with him when they were found at the shore of the lake, and he quickly stood up to visit her in the Court Physician’s bedchamber. But before he could even take a step, his door had burst open and a maidservant strolled inside, apprehension clearly written on her face.

“Are… are you well now, Arthur?” she whispered, her face as white as paper.

His eyes widened, realizing that the maidservant was in fact _Merlin_. She was clad in a peasant’s garb, her hair held away from her face by a crimson kerchief. To complete her attire, she was tightly clutching a broom with her hand, and an empty bucket with another.

“M-merlin?” he asked, squinting his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him.

She vigorously nodded her head, looking as if she was about to cry. Her eyes were wide with fear. “P-professor Le… I mean _Gaius_ said we must meet him in his… err bedchambers to discuss our” – she frantically gestured between the two of them – “ _situation_.”

He took a sharp intake of breath, cursing furiously in his mind. He ignored the princess while he wore decent clothes, his mind still reeling from the fact that they were sent back into the time. He thought of a possible explanation as to why they were here, but his panicked mind failed him. His hands were shaky as he buttoned his tunic, his eyes connecting once more with Merlin’s wide, fearful eyes. The princess was frazzled, panicked like him, and it brought slight comfort to Arthur that at least, he wasn’t alone in this strange, familiar world.

Their journey towards Gaius’ bedchambers was a quiet, tensed one. Arthur fidgeted with his clothes, itchy and expensive-looking, as opposed to the princess’ bleak, dirtied attire. From an outsider’s point-of-view, it would be strange to see the mighty king and a lowly servant strolling side-by-side in the empty hallways. If only they knew that she was supposedly the princess, and he, the supposed bodyguard.

Arthur darted a sideways glance at Merlin, watching as she incessantly fidgeted with her fingers. This made him smile a bit because he realized she was more frazzled than he was. Despite his fear, he tried his best to calm himself down at least, so that he could properly plan their escape. Between him and the princess’, he thought that it would be best if he would be stronger for the two of them.

They finally arrived in Gaius’ bedchambers. The princess ditched knocking and proceeded to open the door quite forcefully. The Court Physician almost jumped from his feet and glared lightly at Merlin. “You should have knocked,” he admonished, prompting the princess to bow her head in apology. Gaius pressed his lips together as he looked at Arthur, and then wordlessly ushered them inside.

He followed Merlin, also sitting down on one of the workbenches in the room. For a moment, the three did not make any sound. Merlin had her head still bowed down, burning holes on top of the wooden table. Arthur was looking around the room, anywhere _but_ the Court Physician, while Gaius steadily looked at the time travelers.

Then, Gaius started to pace, his face old and worn with confusion and stress. The two still waited with bated breaths for him to break the silence. At last, the Court Physician spoke, “So… you are not from here, I believe.”

Arthur said a soft “no” whilst Merlin vigorously shook her head. This time, she lifted her eyes to look at the original Gaius.

He gestured at the princess, eyes now focused on Arthur. “Your, err, _companion_ told me that you are from the future,” he continued. Arthur darted a quick look at Merlin before looking back at Gaius. “And as mind-boggling as it is, she says that you are the reincarnation of King Arthur and that _she_ ” – he threw a glance at the fearful princess – “is the reincarnation of my ward, _Merlin_.” He paused, as if disbelieving of the words that left his mouth. “Is she… is she telling the truth?”

The bodyguard pursed his lips and firmly nodded his head. “She is,” Arthur claimed. This somehow made Gaius flinch, as if confirming his deepest fears, and the Court Physician proceeded to plop down on the seat in front of the two.

“In our time,” Arthur continued, “Merlin here is a princess and I am her head bodyguard” – “Bodyguard?” Gaius asked, quizzical – “or fittingly her head knight… her _servant_.”

The old man’s eyes widened; apparently, Merlin was not able to relay this piece of information. “The last time we were in the future, we had this Winter Ball, and the princess was attacked by an unnamed perpetrator. There was a fight, and Princess Merlin unleashed a powerful spell that pushed me into the Lake of Avalon. I drowned, and she followed, and the next thing I know, we were brought here by a band of knights that looked _awfully_ like her other bodyg – err, _knights_.”

Gaius gripped the end of the table, looking as if he couldn’t believe the information that was just given to him by the supposed King of Camelot. “I am well-versed with magic, as you both know, I assume,” the Court Physician said. “But, I am afraid this is the first time I’ve encountered time travelers. I’m not… _well-equipped_ to be of help to you two.”

Arthur slumped on his seat, disappointed with what he heard. He always thought that Gaius knew almost everything in the whole world; that he held all the answers to the questions of the universe. He actually believed that Gaius had called them so that they could discuss how to get back to their proper time period.

“King Arthur and his manservant, Merlin,” Gaius continued, “have been missing for almost three full moons now. We have been looking for them. The knights were patrolling day and night to scour the lands of Camelot and its neighboring kingdoms just to find the two.” He sighed, obviously weary from the turn of events. “Your presence here in Camelot is most probably not a coincidence. There must be a reason why you are brought here while the king and his manservant are still missing.”

Silence heavily loomed over their heads. Gaius’ turned his eyes toward his window, deep in thought and worry for King Arthur and Merlin. Bodyguard Arthur took his time to properly think about what Gaius said and his implications. He had this gut feeling that Gaius might most probably be right, that travelling back into Ancient Camelot was not a coincidence.

“In the legends of King Arthur,” Merlin shakily said, speaking for the first time, “the Once and Future King will rise again once Albion is in great need.” She directed her eyes at Arthur, her anxiety now released with awed realization. “Perhaps… _perhaps_ this was the reason why you and I were reincarnated in our lifetime while we remembered our pasts. Without the original King Arthur and Merlin, Albion will fall and future you and I will cease to exist. So, here we are now and we must save the originals.”

Gaius, troubled by her words, merely nodded his head. Arthur, on the other hand, had a look of understanding on his face. What she said was absolutely logical. Professor Leech had always told him that remembering his past reincarnations was never an accident, that there was a reason why he remembered, why _Merlin_ remembered. Maybe, it was the universe’s way to call help from the current counterparts.

“Forgive me, for I do not know how to aid you back,” the Court Physician said, sounding remorseful. “But I promise you two, I will help you in any way I can to bring you back home.” He took a deep breath and stood up, sternly looking at the time travelers. “But in return, you must help me. You must help _Camelot_.” He turned his attention to Arthur, deep seriousness on his face. “A throne without a king is dangerous. I know you believe that Camelot is a wonderful kingdom, sought out by friends and enemies alike. I’m afraid you must continue posing as the King just to give the kingdom some security it needed.”

Arthur paled. Him? A king? He was trained to be a bodyguard all his life, for heaven’s sake! He knew that his past reincarnations were wonderful kings and leaders, but he did not know _how_ to become one. Nonetheless, he nodded his head, because he knew that it would be the most sensible choice if they wanted to return to the twenty-first century alive.

“As for you,” Gaius continued, now looking at the female version of his ward, “I will talk to Guinevere and introduce you as my niece. You can stay here and occupy Merlin’s empty room until he comes back.” He paused and sighed, as if speaking about his missing ward pained him. “I think it will be best not to reveal that you are a royal. Some will be doubtful and delve into your lineage until they find out that you are a royal of the _future_. So I think, the guise of being a maidservant will be the best for all of us. And of course, your magic must not be revealed also.”

Merlin silently nodded her head without any interjections.

Gaius paused, his eyes never leaving the princess. Merlin met his gaze, questioning, before the Court Physician broke into a forlorn smile. “You look _awfully_ like my clumsy, ol’ ward,” he said, his eyes misting and distant. He once again gazed outside the window, as if it would give him the answer that he needed the most. “I wonder if he is all right… I wonder if he and the original Arthur are all right.”

Beside him, Merlin’s eyes watered but they refused to fall. Beneath the table, Arthur reached her for closed fist and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She did not look at him, but Arthur could see that she was grateful for his comfort.

“Well then,” Gaius said, looking back at the two. “I think it is best if you return to your bedchambers, sire. Your knights might become suspicion if you are not there, resting.”

Arthur nodded his head, concurring and stood up from the bench. “Thank you, Prof – Gaius,” he said, hastily covering his slip. “Thank you for everything.”

The old man smiled and nodded his head.

“I’ll accompany you back,” Merlin hastily said, scrambling on her feet. “I just… I just needed to get some fresh air…” Her words died down, but the other two did not interject her.

Arthur bid Gaius goodbye, with Merlin following him out of the room.

Once the door closed behind them, Gaius’ knees gave away, still fearful for the King and his manservant.

* * *

They journeyed back to Arthur’s temporary bedchambers, and Merlin was unable to suppress her tears anymore. 

This whole ordeal, the sudden turn of events, had shaken her beyond reason. Normally, if she was at loss of what to do, her parents were there to guide her. But now, whisked away in a world that was not entirely hers, she was panicking. Merlin felt vulnerable without her parents, mind clouded with numerous scenarios and what ifs. What if they never get back? What would happen to her parents? To her throne? To her people? What if she would be stuck here forevermore and their original counterparts were never found? Would she cease to exist? Would she be… _forgotten_?

These thoughts merely prompted to increase her tears, but try as she might, she could not quell them. Having lived a sheltered life for years, Merlin was not yet fully prepared to face dilemmas like these. She still had a lot to learn.

“Princess…” her head bodyguard murmured. She could see that he was trying to reach out for her, but recoiled back at the last minute.

The princess sniffled and wiped away some of her tears. It comforted her immensely that Arthur was here with her. She wouldn’t know what she’d done if she was the only one sent back in time.

She could see that he too was panicked just like her. She bet that their line of thought were the same, worst case scenarios now plaguing their minds. Arthur looked wearier than usual, and Merlin mentally slapped herself because between the two of them, it was Arthur that must rightfully be panicked, after being requested to pose as a king for a kingdom that was merely a part of their memories.

“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered, still wiping her face. “I’m just… _scared_.” Silence hung heavily between the two and it was plain to see that Arthur mirrored her emotion.

Silence continued until they finally reached Arthur’s bedchambers. Thankfully, the knights were nowhere to be found.

The new king turned towards the princess, and to Merlin’s surprise drew her into a hug. The surprise was fleeting, for his comforting gesture enveloped her body and she sank deeper into his hug, her tears turning more desperate in horror.

“Everything will be all right,” he soothed, voice still laced with doubt, but it was all that Merlin needed. “If we stick together, we will get by.”

 _‘This too shall pass,’_ she remembered King Balinor’s murmur, her eyes fluttering close in pain for missing her father.

Arthur absentmindedly dropped a kiss on her hair, a whisper of promise escaping from his lips. “I will protect you no matter what,” he vowed. “ _Trust me_. We’ll find a way to go back, trust me.”

She found herself vigorously nodding her head because despite the fear she felt, she trusted her head bodyguard with all her heart.

Merlin took a deep, shuddering breath, once more wiping her tears away. If they were to find a way to come back, she must make herself strong.

Arthur insisted to accompany her back to the Court Physician’s room, which made her laugh because she had just accompanied him to his room from Gaius’ bedchambers. “I will be all right,” she bid as her good night, before turning around and walking back to the Court Physician’s room, mind made up that they will, no matter what happens, find a way to go back to their world.


	12. Seeing Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin started to assume their pretend roles.

“I can’t do this anymore!” Arthur groaned as he plopped down beside Merlin.

The princess amusedly stared at her head bodyguard. “Well,” she started, “in your past reincarnations, you had always been a _leader_.” He gave her a tired glare, but that did not make her falter. “I mean, this should come naturally to you, Once and Future King! No matter what your status currently is, you know.”

Arthur scowled. “If I were given any choice, I’d switch roles with you in this time period,” he grumbled. ‘

“Now, now, I’m sure my dress will look unsightly on you,” she teased, prompting him to roll his eyes.

The two were currently found in a seemingly abandoned and unkempt garden somewhere at the far back of the castle. Merlin stumbled upon this place in accident, after searching for some potato for tonight’s dinner. She had this feeling that this was once a beautiful garden and wondered why Original Merlin was unable to find such a place before. This could greatly help him if he were to hide from insufferable Original Arthur. This place was perfect for the princess disguising herself as a maidservant and the bodyguard disguising himself as the king to meet and talk, away from prying, curious eyes.

“The council still a pain in the arse?” she said, surprising Arthur for spouting words unlikely for a princess to say. Merlin slightly smiled, reckoning that the servants in the castle were already rubbing off of her.

The disguised bodyguard tiredly nodded his head, sighing. Apparently, the disappearance of King Arthur and his manservant left Arthur with a lot of work to do. From what he recounted, the kingdom was suffering from insufficient food. Also, just a month ago, a big band of bandits attacked the village just outside the castle, causing destruction of infrastructure and injury to some of their best knights. It was also the season for the infestation of locusts, and the farmers were dismayed with the lack of harvest for the following month.

Just thinking about them exhausted Merlin, and she understood why her bodyguard was disgruntled. A week after assuming the role of the king of Camelot, he was already bombarded with problems left by the missing original king. Merlin was a little powerless to help him. She’d studied about these kinds of things, about food scarcities and terrorism, but her knowledge were more apt for the modern world. Her country already had ministers, who were experts in handling these kinds of things. Locusts and other pests were controlled with developed pesticides, and crime was put under control by the policemen. If she were in Arthur’s place right now, she would crumble.

Merlin had watched her bodyguard from afar, running around hither thither in the castle doing her chores. Nobody seemed suspicious of him… _yet_ , and she reckoned that for a pretense, Arthur was doing a wonderful job. She was surprised that he could hold himself in the presence of strangers, and she briefly wondered if such trait were passed on to his reincarnations. Despite his doubts, his blabbering of fears he would ruin King Arthur’s reputation, Merlin believed that her bodyguard actually had the makings of a fine king.

“How about you, Princess?” Arthur asked, turning to look at her with slight trepidation. “How have you been?”

A wide smile stretched on her face. “Honestly?” she said, her smile never leaving her face. “I’ve been having a blast.”

As opposed to Arthur’s disgruntlement, Merlin actually _loved_ her new job. Chores she had never done before were constantly given to her, but surprisingly, she managed to execute them at least. Being a maidservant was tedious for her, but she liked it because it was normal and _familiar_. 

“I’ve made some new friends,” she said, quite pleased with herself. “Some speculated that I look familiar though…” She made a face, nervous that her disguise would be discovered, but then she thought it was ridiculous because _Merlin_ was supposedly a guy.

Gaius suggested that she adopt a new name, ‘Meredith’, because her current name would be too suspicious. She was still struggling to respond to that name, though, but so far, everything was okay.

“Good for you,” Arthur mumbled, prompting her to chuckle. “All I got were new battle plans.”

She grinned at him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. “We’ll be all right,” she said, now optimistic. “I’m sure of it.”

Her bodyguard matched her smile and nodded his head. The memory of their first night in Camelot still ran inside her mind, always succeeding to make her blush, but she knew that with Arthur here, living in this supposedly legendary kingdom would be bearable.

* * *

“This one will lead to the kitchen… yes!”

Merlin was found scouring the whole castle, memorizing each route hither thither, which she knew would be helpful now that she was a maidservant. Although she always struggled in memorizing things, Merlin was fairly surprised that she was able to familiarize herself with the different routes. Memories of Original Merlin, running amok in the said castle, rushed in her mind and guided her in remembering.

The castle was a vast one, even bigger than her own home. It warmed her heart how familiar everything was - nooks and crannies, the armories, the tapestries… Her horror of finding out they travelled back in time had waned a little, replaced by the excitement of once again standing inside the castle that once held a special place in her original counterpart.

“Meredith!”

The princess perked up, recognizing the name given to her, before twirling around. She grew sheepish as the Head Maidservant, Madame Brenda, came stomping towards her. She was a widowed, old lady, back already hunched from years of hard work, and face wrinkled due to her constant grimacing.

“I’ve been calling your name countless times already,” she admonished, menacingly putting her hands against her hips. “And what, pray tell, are you doing here, child? Didn’t I tell you to clean the stables?”

Merlin couldn’t help but grimace at the thought of horse manure and other unmentionables. “Yes, Madame Brenda,” she murmured. For some strange reason, the Head Maidservant was reminiscent of her shrilly tutor, Madame Margeaux. The only difference was that her modern tutor would have a heart attack if she showed herself to people looking like _that_.

“Now, off you go!” she croaked, prompting her to flinch. “Honestly, children these days…” She continued muttering under her breath as she turned around and left Merlin alone once again.

The princess sighed at her retreating back and shook her head. She was thankful that not all maidservants and other castle workers were like her. Merlin was actually able to meet the legendary Guinevere, who was a humble maidservant just like her. Seeing her here made Merlin miss her roommate back in the university. The Gwen here was quieter, more subdued, which was required from her status in this kingdom. Oh, how she terribly missed, crazy, ol’ Gwen!

Speaking of Guinevere, she spied her familiar bushy, black hair and called out her name. The maidservant halted in her steps and turned to Merlin, a pretty grin on her face. “Hello, Meredith,” she said as Merlin sauntered towards her. “How have you been?”

“I’m all right, Gwen,” she said with a smile. “Where are you off to?”

The maidservant briefly made a face. “I was tasked to wash the curtains from the Hall of Ceremonies,” she said, and Merlin imagined the thick curtains and slightly pitied Gwen. “After this, would you like to have some tea with me in my house?”

She beamed. Gwen had been nice to her ever since day one. “Of course, I look forward to it,” she sincerely said.

“Wonderful!” the blacksmith’s daughter claimed. “See you later, Meredith!”

Merlin thoughtfully watched the retreating back of the future Queen of Camelot. She had observed the maidservant for a few days already and reckoned that she perhaps held a torch for a certain King of Camelot. Strangely, this made her uncomfortable, even though she knew it was bound to happen one way or another.

As she travelled out of the castle, Merlin mused that she could see some faces that she had seen even back in the modern times. She wondered if everybody she had encountered in the future were really bound to meet her - if their destinies were intertwined as tightly as hers and Arthur’s were.

The Knights of the Round Table were perfect examples to her musings. She had not encountered them ever since they were found by the group in the Lake of Avalon.

 _“Oh, those blokes are one and the same, all right,”_ Arthur had once told her, a nostalgic smile on his face as he remembered his friends back home. _“Maybe slightly different, but one and the same.”_

She noticed that Lancelot was absent from the group, and gravely, Arthur told Merlin that he had died years ago, saving him. The princess shivered, unable to imagine what it would be like if the reincarnated Lancelot in the future were to die, leaving poor Gwen behind.

Her thoughts were halted as soon as she heard familiar clangs of swords. She had already reached the Training Grounds, and it surprised her that the king was there today. Arthur had engaged Leon in a furious swordfight, and Merlin marvelled at how amazing her bodyguard was. She recalled Leon telling her that Arthur was amazing with a gun, which earned him the title of Head Bodyguard to Her Royal Highness Princess Merlin in the first place. Although it was a sword he was wielding, Merlin was awed with his movements.

Surrounding the sparring duo were the other knights, familiar faces of Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival watching with rapt attention. Merlin was amused at how engrossed they were with the battle. Silently, she missed her own set of bodyguards.

Her attention was directed once more on Arthur and Leon. She beamed in pride, watching as Leon fell on his bum from Arthur’s force. No wonder her parents appointed him to be her Head Bodyguard. Their clanging swords once again ran all throughout the grounds, attracting attention from other people.

Merlin did not realize she was openly staring until Arthur was able to finally disarm Leon. His sword came hurtling towards the princess, and it was too late for her to duck in order to avoid the weapon. Thankfully, it was merely the hilt that hit her squarely on her nose, but _goodness_ , it still had hurt. The princess lost her footing and fell flatly on her bottom, now rubbing her smarting nose. She was positively sure it would bruise.

Merry laughter reached her ears, and she blushed in embarrassment. _‘Oh, Madame Brenda will have my head,’_ she thought, scowling in pain.

Sir Gwaine then suddenly reached her side and crouched down, inspecting her nose. She flinched a little, uncomfortable with how close he was, but the knight merely smiled cheekily. “Nothing to worry about, pretty lass,” he said. “Your nose is as pretty as ever.”

She internally sighed, amused that Gwaine was still the same. He offered his hand and she accepted, allowing him to pull her back on her feet. “Thank you, good sir,” she said, trying her best not to burst out laughing when he gave her a playful wink for his answer.

“Meredith, what are you doing here?”

Merlin sheepishly looked at the king, who had a hint of worry in his eyes, before disappearing entirely. “I’m sorry, sire,” she said, curtsying in respect. Arthur’s brief amused smile did not escape her, and she tried to stifle her own. “I was tasked to clean the stables and the grounds today.”

“Hmm,” King Arthur said, eyes roaming around the messy grounds. “It might seem like a hard task for a… _girl_ like you.”

Her eyes quickly snapped into his, surprised at his insinuation. “And whatever do you mean, _sire_?” she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, as she challengingly held Arthur’s gaze.

The head bodyguard raised an amused eyebrow. “Whatever do you think _I_ mean, _Mere_ dith?” he shot back, a condescending tone now heard in his voice.

Merlin bristled. She knew her bodyguard was supposed to keep up appearances for people to believe that he was the original Arthur. But that did not give him the excuse to be the prat the king was always known to be.

Harrumphing, she lifted her chin, her regal mode triggered on. She ignored how some of the onlookers gave her disapproving stares for standing up against a noble, their _king_ no less, but Merlin wouldn’t back down from a fight. “With all due respect _, sire_ ,” she said through gritted teeth, “but _girls_ like me can do menial tasks like cleaning the grounds!”

Scandalized gasps resounded in the grounds. Merlin’s eyes slightly widened, finally realizing that in this time, Arthur was acting king, and she was acting servant. Her cheeks colored once more, doing a good job of attracting unwanted attention, and was about to apologize to the king, but then, she caught the smug smirk on Arthur’s face.

She bristled in unsuppressed rage.

“I believe your insolence today bought you a slot in the stocks, yes?” he calmly said, his smirk never leaving his face.

Merlin restrained herself from lashing out again. Her mother had constantly berated her to hold her tongue, especially when her emotions are at their peak, but Merlin always found that to be a little hard. She actually congratulated herself because she was able to swallow a cheeky remark against his weight and how he would need a bigger stock to fit himself.

The princess in disguise gave a stiff curtsy, her glare never faltering. “As you wish, sire,” she said, as some knights clutched her arm and brought her to the stocks.

 _‘You’ll pay for this later, Arthur Pendragon,’_ Merlin swore inside, unable to see the amused, fond smile thrown by the king.

* * *

“Feisty little one, yeah?” Elyan said, watching as the maidservant Meredith was sent off to the stocks.

“And a pretty one, too!” Gwaine exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Arthur rolled his eyes at his knight, thinking that the future Gwaine hadn’t really changed at all.

“Isn’t she the one we found with you back in the lake, sire?” Percival said, drawing the king’s attention to him. “The one unconscious with that _strange_ dress.”

Arthur merely nodded his head.

“It is odd that of all people, she’s the one we’ve found with you,” Leon piped in. “I just thought it would be, you know…” His words died down, eyes becoming forlorn. The other knights mirrored his grave expression and Arthur internally sighed, wondering where their original counterparts were.

* * *

Arthur was sheepish when she arrived in their usual meeting place.

She scowled at him, arms crossed against her chest. She looked awful, _smelled_ awful, and it was all thanks to her head bodyguard. Her body was still smarting from all the rotten vegetables and fruits and other things she did not think about that were thrown her way. She knew bruises were already bound to form on her body.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” Arthur said, bowing in sincerity. “I got carried away.”

Merlin grumbled and glared at him petulantly. “You do remember that I am still the Princess, and you my bodyguard, yes?” she reminded him, glare darkening as a smile appeared on his face.

“Yes, of course,” he said, nodding his head. “But you do remember that our roles are reversed here, yes?”

She frowned. “Touché,” she grumbled, making a move to sit beside her bodyguard. “But still!”

“Well, you were surprisingly feisty today,” he defended, unbeknownst to her that he merely wanted to rile her up more. “I have never seen your tongue run so fast, today, Princess. I mean, I would perfectly understand the Original Merlin, but you!” He shook his head to give more effect. “I can’t believe it.”

Merlin bristled and conjured rotten vegetables and fruits at hand, hurtling them towards the unsuspecting king. Arthur burst into boisterous laughter, barely dodging some of the rotten food while some hit him on places that rather _hurt_. “All right, all right, I apologize!” Arthur finally said, raising his arms in defeat. “I knew I was out of line a while ago, your highness. I’m sorry.”

The princess rolled her eyes, threw a particularly solid apple, before strolling away from the abandoned garden. She harrumphed, but Arthur was able to catch the small smile on her face as she disappeared at the corner.

Quietly, Arthur somehow mused that perhaps, being brought back in this timeline, wasn’t bad at all.

* * *

Merlin was currently sitting on one of the work benches, watching as Gaius concocted a new batch of medicine for the village infirmary. She volunteered to help him, already finishing today’s chores and was left with nothing to do. The Court Physician gave her roots to cut, seeds to powder, and leaves to crush, and Merlin was able to happily comply to his requests.

Although it was almost a week after she found herself in Ancient Camelot, Merlin could see that Gaius was still slightly uncomfortable with her presence. She knew it mostly was because she had an uncanny resemblance with his missing ward, and maybe because she was still a royal back in her own world. But Merlin felt immensely comforted just in the mere presence of Gaius. Her professor was somewhat an oddball, but Original Gaius felt wiser and _older_. Merlin wondered what other horrors Gaius must have seen for him to become this state today.

As strange fumes escaped from his cauldron, Merlin mused of all the knowledge she had gained in this kingdom. First, although she clearly remembered her past reincarnations, there were certain facts, either small or big, that she couldn’t remember.

 _“What can you make of these, Gaius?”_ she asked him one, tiring night as they prepared to go to bed. _“Of our time traveling?”_

The Court Physician was thoughtful for a while, before speaking his opinion. _“Perhaps, your time travel has changed a lot of things,”_ he offered, discerning. _“What you have are original memories of, well,_ Merlin _, but do you remember the abduction of him and King Arthur?”_

She firmly shook her head. This was one fact that had immensely bugged her for the past few days. If she had remembered her past reincarnations, she should have foreseen that their original counterparts were missing and perhaps be in danger. But strangely, she hadn’t.

 _“And besides, it is time itself that sent you back here,”_ he continued. _“Magic is at work here, and you, of all people should know that despite all the knowledge we can possess regarding this particular subject, magic is still unclear. It might possibly choose which memories to conceal and which memories to reveal for you to accomplish your task of finding Merlin and Arthur.”_

Her head had ached at his explanation. It was still confusing for Merlin, but Gaius was right – when did magic become clear to her, anyway?

“How have you been coping?” the Court Physician asked, drawing her out of her musings.

Merlin offered him a small smile. “Splendidly,” she said, despite the backaches and the smarting legs. “Everything just came… _naturally_.” A soft sigh escaped from her lips, thinking of her bodyguard. “I cannot say the same thing about my bodyguard, though.”

Gaius nodded his head in understanding. “It had always been hard for King Arthur,” he said in consolation. “I am sure your Arthur is trying his best.”

The princess nodded, eyes turning fond. “Arthur constantly doubts himself,” she claimed. “He underestimates himself and he doesn’t even realize that he actually has the makings of a king. He’s the Once and Future King, for goodness’ sake!”

Chuckling, the Court Physician bottled up the rest of the potions he made. “Give the boy some time to realize how valuable he is,” he said, prompting Merlin to smile. “He is pretending to be the king of this kingdom, after all.”

“Of course,” Merlin sighed.

“I must warn you, Meredith,” Gaius continued, his tone turning grave. “There are a lot of people meaning to hurt the king. Before his disappearance, King Arthur had undergone a lot of trials and obstacles.”

Flinching, she whispered, “I know.” She gravely met Gaius’ eyes. “I _remember_.”

He sadly smiled at her and held her hand. It was the first comforting gesture the Court Physician had done to her ever since she came, and it warmed her heart and moistened her eyes. “You must protect him, Mere… _Merlin_ ,” he said.

“I will,” she answered without hesitation. “Some people in this court made me uneasy,” she said, briefly remembering Arthur’s uncle. “Like _Agravaine_ … seriously, why can’t I remember him at all? He is suspicious.”

Gaius merely gave her a thoughtful look.

She sighed and shook her head. “I will keep an eye on him,” she said. “I promise.”


	13. Of Venoms and Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Courage is on the brink of dying once more, Magic and Strength are there to save the day.

Arthur flinched for the umpteenth time, and George, his manservant, recoiled.

Today, he arranged for a hunt with the Knights of the Round Table. Gwaine was hinting for an adventure with the king and his friends since life in Camelot was starting to become a _routine_. The bodyguard couldn’t believe the audacity Gwaine had, or the other knights for that matter. Amused,  he wondered if this was how Merlin felt whenever her other bodyguards interacted with her like this. 

He remembered how hunting roused the excitement from his knights and even him; thus, it was the first thing he suggested. Besides, his paperwork was starting to become a bore. Agravaine was constantly looming over his shoulder, pointing this and that, demanding to sign these and those, and Arthur just wanted to have a break from it all. Thankfully, none of the council members objected from this.

So, here was he now, with his manservant helping him wear his armor. George, he found out, was annoyingly _sufficient_ in his work. He did things without being asked to, and although he meant well, Arthur was not exactly comfortable. He actually missed impudent, insufficient, clumsy Merlin, who would put up a fight after being ordered. Although he would be delayed with his work, he was entertained.

Arthur made a surprised groan as George touched _places_ he’d rather he did not touch at all. This prompted his manservant to shoot him quizzical looks, and all he could offer were grimaces. Silently, he cursed his original counterpart for being such a lazy ass, asking assistance from servants when he could very well wear his own clothes himself! He was thankful George never raised any questions; if it was Merlin, he would have let his tongue loose without being addressed.

He felt immensely relieved once George was done. His manservant was dismissed for the day. Arthur then walked towards the full length mirror in his room and surveyed his form. It still felt odd for him to see himself fully clad in an armor. He remembered his younger days, when Halloween would arrive and he always donned his own armor back home to dress as a knight. His armor now felt _way_ heavier and shiny. 

The bodyguard then proceeded to sheath his sword and grab his crossbow, feeling immensely excited for the hunt. He honestly had no idea how to hunt, but the mere idea of it sent thrills down his spine. He had always wondered how it would feel like to hunt and viewed it as a simple game. Even his knights were excited when he agreed for this little adventure.

As Arthur walked out of his room to meet the others, he briefly wondered if hunting was the counterpart to their glorious football.

* * *

Here in the woods, running around, searching for a game… Arthur was _exhilarated_. His knights were surprisingly quiet today, void of any playful banters so as not to scare off any animals. The bodyguard could feel his heart pumping in anticipation, gesturing Elyan to go to the east side, and Percival to the west. Being here felt so natural to him it was almost terrifying. His hands slightly shook with adrenaline, crossbow poised to kill.

Memories flashbacked in his mind, those of original Arthur successfully capturing a game and ignoring original Merlin’s stare of disapproval. The king couldn’t wait to feel that rush of success after taking down a game.

A sudden rustle at his side perked him up, wondering if it would be a deer or a rabbit or some other animal. His knights seemed to hear it too, for they crept closer to him, readying their weapons once the animal leapt out of its hiding place. They waited with bated breath, as the bushes continued to rustle, before a creature emerged.

Arthur let his arrow fly, but watched with horror as his target was actually a person _and_ Princess Merlin, a basketful of herbs perched on her arm. She released a yelp of terror and ducked down just in time, the arrow now wedged quite deeply in a tree behind her.

Silence followed. Merlin, who was now crouched down on the floor, was covering her head with her hands. Some of the herbs she picked fell messily on the ground. Arthur was still dumbstruck with the sudden turn of events, and was only brought off his stupor when he heard Gwaine and Percival stifling a chuckle.

The princess perfectly heard their futile attempt and snapped. She shot back on her feet and glared darkly at her bodyguard. “I _can’t_ believe you people,” she burst, cheeks already dark with rage (and perhaps embarrassment). “Hunting is such a _barbaric_ habit, killing innocent lives. I mean seriously!” She wagged a furious finger at their general direction. “What if I was hit? What if a _deer_ was hit? _Oh gods_ …” Horror struck her face, but her anger was still in place.

As she rambled on and on about animal rights, Arthur couldn’t help but to show a slight smile. It reminded him of the time back in the university, when the Princess burst out like this, ranting about how her bodyguards were spending too much time on football when their sole priority was supposedly  _her_. Merlin could be pretty passionate on subjects that she truly believed in, looking very much un-princess-y.

“You’re _smiling_?” she shrieked, crossing her arms at him. He dropped his smile in respect to the princess, but behind him, the knights burst out into laughter. Arthur watched as Gwaine strode forward the princess.

“Isn’t it a little early to be feisty, Meredith?” he said, lightly patting her head. Merlin looked more irate, but held herself back. Arthur amusedly thought that if they were back in the university, Gwaine would have an earful. Seeing that she was a maidservant here and Gwaine was a knight, she bit her tongue to stop herself.

Percival joined Gwaine and continued to pester the princess. Arthur was surprised that the knights were actually close with Merlin. Despite her irritated look, the bodyguard could notice a hint of fondness in her eyes. Silently, the king mused that he missed his friends back home, too.

“Doesn’t she remind you of Merlin?” Leon murmured to the king.

Briefly, Bodyguard Arthur panicked and shot a glance at his knight. But the forlorn look in his eyes calmed him down; instead, he murmured a soft, “Yes.”

“I wonder if he is all right…”

Their conversation was cut off when Princess Merlin harrumphed loudly, now picking her basketful of herbs. “Sorry, boys, I have to go back,” she said, now calmed down. She shot a brief look at Arthur, warning in her eyes. “Try not to shoot anymore people, yes?”

The knights rumbled in boisterous laughter, disbelief in their eyes. Arthur, on the other hand, gave her a small smirk. If society allowed him, he would have fired George and just get Merlin as his new maidservant. Alas, they were not living in the twenty-first century anymore.

As she readied to go and leave the merry band, Merlin suddenly released another scream.

Arthur looked at her in question,  but his facw then morphed into pure surprise and horror. In front of the maidservant was a two-headed gigantic snake. Its scales glittered menacingly in the forest, eyes sin slits sweeping across the king and his knights. Terror blossomed in his heart as the monster bared its sharp teeth, barely missing Merlin.

“Elyan!” the king hollered. “Get Meredith!”

The knight grabbed Merlin and dragged her away from the fight. Arthur and the others now drew their swords and faced the beast. The giant snake hissed loudly, green liquid dripping from its mouth. Arthur did not need to be a Court Physician to believe that the snake was venomous.

A battle commenced, with the knights swishing against the scaly body of the snake. But all their attacks were futile. Its scales were harder than steel and their swords were useless against them. Arthur unceasingly struck it nonetheless, with his knights following suit. All the king could think about was that he should protect the princess from any harm.

A large log suddenly came hurtling towards the snake, hitting it squarely on its face. A rumbling hiss escaped from his lips, swaying wildly while baring its fangs. The knights stumbled back, shielding their bodies with their swords. Another log came hurtling towards the snake, this time hitting it on the right eye. The beast released a pained hiss and the knights took this opportunity to attack the beast once more.

Arthur shot a glance behind his back, and saw Merlin hidden behind a big tree. Her eyes were golden as another log was hurtled towards the beast. The bodyguard ducked to avoid the levitated log, which had hit its target.

“Meredith, get down!” Arthur hollered as the snake found her and immediately slithered in her direction. The bodyguard swished his sword, desperately warding the beast away. His actions agitated the snake, for it neared its face and bared its fangs once more.

Arthur could hear the shouts of his knights, but they sounded so distant. The snake swooped down to attack, and the king instinctively shielded his face with his sword. A burst of pain made him stumble back, falling flat on his bottom. Stars exploded behind his eyes, watching blearily as the snake once more readied itself to attack him.

The bodyguard felt nauseous, noting that his arm was dripping with blood from the snakebite. Green liquid mingled with red pooled on his breeches. Arthur could feel the effects of the venom in his blood. His eyes were already clouded with pain, head lolling back, as he finally fell on the forest ground. With his heavy eyes closed, he felt a sudden gush of wind. A deafening shriek followed, mixed with shouts from his knights. And Merlin… he heard her voice, heavy with tears, until consciousness left him.

* * *

Merlin watched with horror as the snake attacked Arthur, its bite producing a sickening crunch. She felt her magic go haywire, releasing a huge burst to produce a whirlwind. The snake was knocked off from its place, releasing a deafening shriek, before slithering away from the group.

The knights were already gathered around the unconscious Arthur. Her wobbly legs brought her next to them, tears now steadily streaming from her face. Her bodyguard looked awful, the effects of the venom now taking its effect. His arm was a ghastly sight, with a putrid scent making her gag.

“Arthur,” she cried, grabbing his face with both her hands. He felt cold and clammy, his face already deathly white. “Arthur, oh gods.”

With glistening eyes, she lifted her head. “Quick, bring him back to Camelot!” she beseeched. Gwaine and Leon were the first ones to respond to her command, holding the king up. Percival carried Arthur into his arms, and Merlin noted with horror that her bodyguard looked small in his arms.

“Come on, Meredith,” a shaken Gwaine murmured, gently grabbing her arm.

Their journey back to Camelot was a blur. The townspeople watched with terror as their king was brought into the castle without any consciousness. One knight already called for Gaius. The Court Physican ran as fast as his rickety legs could allow him until he reached the group. Immediately, he checked for Arthur’s pulse.

“Bring him to my room,” he said, conscious that a lot of curious eyes were latched onto them. If he were to work, it would be better if it was in his quarters.

Merlin blindly followed, her tears thick enough to cloud her eyes. It was a miracle she was able to follow the group. Gaius kicked out the frantic knights, constantly asking if the king would be all right. He had let Merlin stay, though.

“All right, Merlin, calm down,” he said. The princess started to pace to and fro, fearfully eyeing the slow breaths released by the pale bodyguard. Her eyes snapped back to Gaius, tears still steadily flowing from her eyes.

“W-will he be all right?” she whispered breathlessly, slowly reaching out for his pale hand. He was still _so_ cold and she couldn’t bear the thought that he might probably be…

The Court Physician pursed his lips. “He might be if you tell me what happened,” he assured, prompting the princess to nod her head.

“W-we were in the forest,” she started, haphazardly wiping her tears away, “and then this m-monster…” She paused, lightly shivering as she envisioned the beast attacking Arthur once more. “It was a two-headed giant s-snake, it’s fangs laced with g-green liquid.” Merlin ended her recount, swallowing thickly. She watched as alarm burst in Gaius’ eyes, now tearing Arthur's bloodied tunic to examine the bite.

The wound now held a stench so putrid, the bite marks already a sickly shade of green. As Gaius cleaned the bite, he looked back at Merlin. “I believe you’ve encountered an Amphisbaena,” he gravely said, once again focusing on Arthur’s wound.

Princess Merlin did not like the tone of Gaius’ voice. “Please tell me there’s a… _cure_.” The last word came out as a whisper, afraid of what the Court Physician would answer to her question. To her immense relief, Gaius shot her a weak smile.

“Oh, there is, dear girl,” he said, sauntering towards his shelf to search for a poultice. “But it is not easy to obtain.”

She found herself smiling, despite her tears. When was obtaining the cure ever easy, anyway?

Gaius was silent for a while as he searched his cabinet. It was only when he found the poultice did he continue. “Legend says that a drop of a golden stag’s tears can cure the venom of an Amphisbaena.” He looked over at Merlin with a grimace on his face. “I have never encountered stories about the golden stag, however.”

The hope that burst in her heart faltered a little. “But… but we can try, right?” she said, determined, as she looked back at Arthur. “ _I_ can try.”

She was unaware of the fond smile that Gaius shot at her. More and more each day, she did things that strongly supported the fact that she was indeed his ward’s reincarnation. “They say the golden stag loves music. So much that the sound of a beautiful melody brings him to tears,” he continued. “His favourite instrument is a reed pipe.” He paused as she nodded her head firmly. “But beware, Merlin, for the golden stag is fleeting. It only appears at midnight and due to its timid nature, it sings a lullaby to put nearby creatures to sleep.”

Merlin gingerly grabbed Arthur’s limp hand, her grip tight and assuring. _‘I will bring you back, Arthur, I promise,’_ was her silent vow. She looked back at Gaius, resolve in her gaze.

“Do you have a reed pipe, Gaius?”

* * *

Merlin waited for the bells to ring, signalling sunset. Camelot was already drenched with darkness; people now comfortably inside their houses, probably sleeping. The princess mused that life here was far too simpler than back home. For instance, sunset in the university would signal the end of classes and the start of doing schoolwork and whatnot.

With this in mind, Merlin wore the cloak that Gaius had lent her. The said Court Physician was still in Arthur’s bedchambers, tending to the king. Just a while ago, Gaius concocted a potion that would slow down the spread of the venom inside his veins, giving Merlin some leeway to find the seemingly impossible golden stag.

Doubt constantly gripped her heart, but the thought of her bodyguard, fighting for his life, would brush those doubts away. She stashed away the reed pipe inside a small rucksack, before striding out of the Court Physician’s room. She avoided any Patrolling Knights, having an inkling that numerous questions would be risen. She was far too nervous to deal with them right now.

Princess Merlin immensely felt relieved as soon as her feet touched the familiar cobblestones of the town. As what she had predicted, the road was already deserted, except for some vendors hither thither, who were still packing their goods for the night. Merlin tried her best to blend to the shadows, so as not to draw attention to her cloaked self.

She finally reached the borders of the Darkling Woods. The only light she had was the moon, and from outside, the forest was already menacing for the poor princess. She could already imagine the numerous monstrosities inside, memories of Original Merlin’s adventures flashing in her mind’s eye.

 _‘What if the Amphisbaena appears once more?’_ a fearful voice whispered inside her head.

“No,” she firmly told herself, shaking those thoughts away. She would brave. For _Arthur_.

“Halt!”

A soft gasp of surprise escaped from her mouth as Sir Gwaine’s familiar voice reached her ears. Merlin drew the hood lower until almost her eyes were covered.

The knight slowly came into view, sword drawn and outstretched.

“What are you doing here?” Merlin could hear the suspicion in his voice, mingled with alarm.

She knew she wasn’t exactly inconspicuous right now. But she held her breath, afraid that she would be discovered.

“Did you come from Camelot?” he asked.

Stiffly, she nodded her head.

“What brings you here, then?”

Merlin cleared her throat. “I-I wish to pick some herbs, good sir,” she muttered, her voice lower for disguise.

For a moment, Sir Gwaine did not say anything. Merlin internally prayed that he bought her lie, because she still had to search for the possible place where the golden stag would appear. Gaius had suggested to her a while ago to find small streams because most fauna thrive around it for water.

To her utmost surprise, Gwaine used the end of his sword to remove the hood from her face. The biting, cold wind blew against her face and she paled, watching as the knight’s face shifted into surprise.

“Meredith!” he gasped, bringing his sword down. “What are you doing here?”

She grew sheepish, knowing that it was futile to lie. “You won’t believe me when I say I’ll gathered herbs, right?” she asked, sighing as he firmly shook his head. “Thought so.”

The princess grabbed the reed pipe and showed it to Gwaine. “I’m going to save Arthur,” was all she managed to say.

Gwaine was dumbstruck. “With a musical instrument?” he asked, disbelieving. “I am not entirely sure that can help, Meredith.”

Merlin proceeded to tell him the story about the golden stag and his magical tears and how it was the only known cure to Arthur’s current predicament. By the time she was finished, Gwaine’s astonishment never left his face.

“But… but you’re a girl!” he sputtered out, wildly gesturing at her. “And a pretty one at that, but still!”

She brushed off his offhanded compliment. Instead, she lifted her chin, slightly offended. “And what is wrong with that?” she asked, challenging.

Gwaine sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Quests like these should be given to knights, not _you_ ,” he interjected, although he meant well. “Gaius should have told this to the knights. I’m quite sure Leon and the others would not think twice to save their friend.”

Merlin slightly smiled, touched how he addressed Arthur. “Don’t blame Gaius,” she told him. “I was adamant. I… I _have_ to save Arthur.”

“But why?” he asked her, confused.

“Because he saved me before,” she said, remembering the abduction of the unnmaed perpetrator. “I owe him my life.”

This had brought the knight to silence, regarding her as if she was a strange creature in this world. But Merlin had set her mind and not even this nosy knight could stop her from searching the golden stag.

“Although I admit that this is very brave of you,” he said, now smirking, “I also think that this is absolutely idiotic.”

Her face flushed, deeply offended, but Gwaine raised his hand. “Therefore, let me accompany you,” he continued, this time with a cheeky grin on his face. “I may be called a lot of names, but I’m best remembered for my strength.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Indeed,” she said. “And a womanizer, a cad, maybe a tad insolent…”

Sir Gwaine chuckled, cutting her off. “All right, all right, I get it,” he said, playfully ruffling her head. “Aren’t we supposed to find this golden stag?”

All humor left her face, remembering the task at hand. “Right,” she said. “Come on, we must make haste.”

* * *

Having Gwaine had its perks, mostly because he knew the Darkling Woods like the back of his hand. When Merlin raised her concern of finding a stream that would most probably be visited by the magical creature, Gwaine told her about one near the western border of the Darkling Woods. He reckoned it was the biggest, and a lot of fauna went to this place to drink water.

The journey towards the said stream was fairly quick, with Merlin and Gwaine standing post on a nearby tree. Before they knew it, the distant bells of Camelot, signalling midnight, reached their ears.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, skeptic.

Merlin rolled her eyes. “You have a bloody unicorn in this forest,” she shot back, remembering their brief encounter with the said magical creature just a while ago. “I have a good feeling about this.”

He stared at her, amused. “And foul mouthed, too,” he said, eyes crinkling with mirth. “Are you sure you are from here? You do not act like the other women I know, Meredith.”

All she gave him was a sleepy grin. A big yawn tore away from Gwaine’s mouth while Merlin could feel her eyes going heavy.

Her magic hummed, jolting her awake. She peeked from the tree, and lo and behold, stood the majestic golden stag that Gaius was telling her. It emitted a bright, dazzling light and Merlin was mesmerized. At the same time, he was singing a soft melody that brought the animals scattered around it to sleep.

 _‘No wonder I feel sleepy,’_ she thought as a yawn also escaped from her mouth. “Gwaine,” she groggily said, “you must stay awake.”

“Hmm…” the knight murmured, his eyes know rolling at the back of his head. Soft snores came from his body and Merlin started to panic. Gaius said that the golden stag stays for mere minutes; sleeping a wink might already be enough for the creature to flee.

Merlin immediately covered her ears to block away his lullaby, desperately thinking of a solution to her predicament. The sight of Gwaine’s sharp sword came into her view and quickly, she placed a huge gash on her left arm. The sting she felt woke her up, a few tears escaping from her eyes due to the pain.

“This is good, this is good,” she murmured, ignoring the pain and retrieving her reed pipe. She placed the mouthpiece against her lips and started to play.

Her eyes never left the magical creature as she continued to play the reed pipe. The golden stag seemed mesmerized by the music she was producing. She felt immense relief as it did not scour away as she approached. Internally, she was profusely thanking Madame Margeaux for forcing her to learn as many instruments as she could take back in the castle.

Princess Merlin had now reached the stag, her free arm slightly outstretched as she gingerly touched the top of the golden stag. He flinched a little with the feel of her fingers, but allowed her to stroke him. His golden eyes still watched her, intently listening to her reed pipe, until a lone tear slid off from its right eye.

She held herself back from doing a victory yelp, quickly rummaging inside her pocket to retrieve a vial. She continued playing as she waited for a drop to enter the vial, willing her shaking hand to be steady. _‘Come on, Merlin,’_ she urged, anticipating the drop of the tear. As soon as the vial caught its fall, Merlin stopped playing her reed pipe. An excited shout escaped from her mouth, startling the golden stag. It released a soft, fearful sound before striding away.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, waving her hand at the golden stag. She pocketed the vial and quickly strode towards the slumbering knight.

“Gwaine!” she exclaimed, shaking him awake. Sir Gwaine stirred a little, but did not budge. Merlin remembered Bodyguard Arthur’s words before, telling her that his roommate sleeps like a log, and the princess wondered if the Original Gwaine also slept like one.

Impatient, the princess kicked his arm, jerking him awake. Alarm was in his eyes, groping for his sword in the dark, but the merry chuckles that escaped from Merlin’s mouth made him frown.

“W-what happened?” he asked, still slightly groggy. He sat up and shook the remnants of sleep away, wildly looking around. When there was a blatant absence of the golden stag, he looked back at Merlin, horrified. “Did the golden stag arrive already?”

Merlin happily nodded her head and showed him the vial.

“How…” His words died, eyes now connecting on Merlin’s profusely bleeding left arm. Eyes widening, he looked back at the maidservant, disbelieving. “How could you do that to yourself?!”

“Oh, it’s just a small gash,” she assured him, but her flinch betrayed her words, prompting him to frown. “Never mind about me. We must bring this to Gaius quickly!”

Sir Gwaine sighed, shooting one last furtive look at her injured arm, before concurring. “Let us go,” he said.

* * *

Arthur was successfully saved.

When Magic and Strength shook the Court Physician awake to show the teardrop, Gaius was mildly surprise that such creature existed. What surprised him more, though, was the huge wound on Merlin’s arm.

“She is an idiot, Gaius, I tell you!” Gwaine told him, the old man furiously searching for a clean bandage and other poultice to tend to her wound. Despite her flinching and the soft yelps of pain, Merlin was too happy that their quest was actually a success.

Gaius had concocted the cure for the king, and Arthur was already well the very next day.

Her head bodyguard requested her to meet him in the abandoned garden, much to Merlin’s confusion. They had already met back in his bedchambers, and although he was horrified with her quest with Gwaine, he did not say anything anymore.

As she strode towards the garden, Merlin nervously thought of what Arthur would do. The said blond was already there, back facing the princess, and she cautiously approached him.

“Arthur?” she softly called.

To her utmost surprise, her bodyguard quickly turned around until she found herself enclosed inside his big, warm arms. “A-Arthur?” she murmured once more, her cheeks now flushing with red.

“I heard everything from Gaius,” he said, sagging against her, as if in relief. “Your parents will kill me if something happened to you, you know.”

Merlin chuckled, eyes watering as she remembered the king and queen. She missed them both _so much_.

“Prat,” she fondly said, “it is my duty to protect you, after all.”

He pulled away and frowned at her. He was now eyeing her bandaged wound, making her sheepish. “I was appointed your Head Bodyguard,” he said, still frowning. “I am the one who’s supposed to protect you.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Gwaine was with me,” she said, reassuring. “Besides, I’m here, and you’re well.”

“But you’re wounded,” he interjected.

Merlin warmly smiled, fondly reminiscing the days of their original counterparts. “I will gladly wound myself a thousand times if it means saving you, Arthur,” she said.

Something shifted in his eyes and the princess once again grew hot under his intense gaze. She nervously chuckled and broke away from his arms, “This means I get a lifetime immunity from stocks now, yes?”

To her relief, her bodyguard rolled his eyes at her. “Idiot,” was all he could say.

Merlin grinned. “I’m glad you’re well,” she said with all the honesty she could muster.

He nodded, smiling. “Me too, princess,” he said. “Me too.”


	14. A Warlock's Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Merlin thinks she's rubbish at being Arthur's protector but her bodyguard thought the otherwise.

_It was freezing._

_Princess Merlin fearfully looked around, her heavy breathing forming huge puffs of air. Hugging herself tightly, she noted that she was once again in the same familiar, icy room. Her eyes magnetized on that same spot where the boy in her dreams always resided, frozen inside, but to her utmost surprise, he was missing._

_She frantically searched everywhere, panicked. For some strange reason, not seeing him brought alarm bells in her head. The princess immediately approached the huge block of ice, hands already outstretched, but before she could completely touch it, the scene changed before her eyes. The ice quickly melted, replaced by a blazing inferno._

_Merlin stumbled back, landing on her backside. The fire had now engulfed the whole room, prompting her to draw her knees against her. The fire licked the hem of her dress, but instead of burning, Merlin felt_ nothing _. “W-what?” was her confused, breathless inquisition._

_As she lifted her head, the fire was finally gone. Instead, in front of her stood Arthur. Merlin quickly stood up, immensely relieved to see a familiar face. Merlin quickened her pace, arms desperately outstretched to reach her bodyguard. Yet she never reached Arthur; in fact, he seemed to always draw farther and farther away._

_“ARTHUR!” she hollered._

_His eyes snapped on her. There was a strange expression on his face and Merlin was drawn to a halt. It wasn’t Arthur… it wasn’t_ bodyguard _Arthur. Her confusion intensified, recognizing the original King Arthur, who now had drawn his sword out, slashing hither thither toward an unseen opponent._

 _The familiar man, the one imprisoned inside the ice, suddenly came into the picture. His hands were outstretched, eyes a dangerous shade of gold, as he helped the king attack their opponent. All air seemed to leave Merlin, because she finally recognized the_ boy _._

_“Merlin.”_

_The manservant’s eyes now connected with hers, his golden eyes turning into their normal, blue ones. “Hello, Merlin,” he said, his mouth stretching into a smile. The expression was so out-of-place, especially because he looked worn and battered, his face bruised and dirtied and tired._

_The princess ran once more, but he, together with the battling King Arthur, suddenly dissolved into thin air._

_“WAIT!” she sobbed, falling on her knees in despair. She felt so confused, so lost and alone, and the princess once again brought her knees to her chest._

_Suddenly, her chin was forcefully tilted upward. In front of her was a beautiful woman, clad in a black dress that seemed to highlight her fair complexion. Her ebony hair was wild and dishevelled; her molten grey eyes were ablaze with unsuppressed fury and malice. And her lips… they were stretched in such an evil smirk the princess couldn’t help but cower._

_It was the Lady Morgana. She remembered her – kind, sweet Morgana, whose sole wish was to be accepted for being who she truly was – a person of magic. Before her now was a dark Morgana, and Merlin’s heart twisted in pain, remembering how the sweet lady turned into such a frightening, hateful witch._

_“Sleep tight, Merlin,” she hissed, her face contorting into pure hate. Morgana touched her forehead and a searing pain crawled all throughout her body._

_The princess released a blood-curling scream, her body doing involuntary spasms due to the pain. She could distinctly hear Morgana’s laugh, laced with her own screams, and Merlin desperately pleaded for the pain to stop._

“MERLIN! MERLIN!”

Princess Merlin jerked awake. The worried face of the Court Physician swam into her vision. She was shivering and crying and Merlin couldn’t help but to throw her arms around Gaius. He was startled with her action, but he thankfully did not pull away.

The remnants of her vivid nightmare still shook her and she didn’t dare pull away from Gaius until she had calmed down.

“Whatever happened, my dear girl?” the old man inquired, worriedly looking at the princess.

Merlin haphazardly wiped away her tears and sniffled. “B-bad dream,” was all she managed to say.

Her heart plummeted to the ground when Gaius did not look relieved at all. “Hmm,” he murmured. “Was it that vivid?” he asked, eyes sweeping over her tear-stained face.

She nodded her head, trying her best not to recall the pain she felt. “I-it was the most frightening dream I ever had,” she whispered. Merlin remembered the same icy dream she had, but the most recent one was definitely different.

“I’m sure there is nothing to worry about,” he said, offering her a smile that did not reach his eyes. In fact, Gaius seemed to betray his words, eyes more worried, but Merlin did not point it out. “Come outside, I have some Sleeping Draught to help you sleep.”

Merlin wrapped her blanket around her shivering body before standing up from her bed. As she followed Gaius outside Original Merlin’s bedroom, Merlin couldn’t shake off the feeling that her nightmare might mean something.

* * *

“Are you all right, Meredith?” Guinevere’s kind, worried eyes met her gaze, and Merlin blinked.

“Pardon?” the pretend maidservant asked, shaking her mind from any residual musings she had.

Gwen stared at her for a full minute, her bottom lip slightly protruded in worry. “I asked if you were all right,” she echoed, her eyebrows now furrowed. “You have been dazing off, if you must know.”

The princess colored, embarrassed to be caught. “Oh yes, yes, I’m quite all right, Gwen,” she said, lips stretching into a forced smile. “I’ve just been thinking about some things, that is all,” she reassured.

It seemed that the maidservant did not buy her excuse, but Gwen finally sighed and went back to sweeping the floors.

Today, Merlin was tasked to clean the Hall of Ceremonies and its surrounding corridors. The inquisitive side of her asked as to why they were supposed to clean a place where special occasions were conducted, but the Head Maidservant merely gave her the glare.

She was thankful that among the other maidservants who were assigned, Gwen was one of them. Merlin had grown considerably close to the blacksmith’s daughter, mostly because, despite transporting back in time, she still had certain attributes that reminded her of her dear roommate back in the University of Avalon. Gwen also seemed to have taken a liking to the strange, talkative, and sometimes authoritative maidservant, and had stuck around ever since she came here.

They were done cleaning the Hall of Ceremonies, and most of the maidservants already scrambled about to do their other chores. Merlin had nothing left to do; Madame Brenda still deemed her ‘too clumsy and incompetent’ in terms of doing chores. The princess had received an earful from the Head Maidservant when she confessed she did not know how to wash clothes. Back home, her mother would not allow her to do anything that could damage the softness of her hands.

Gwen was supposed to have kitchen duties after cleaning the Hall of Ceremonies, but the kitchen lacked the necessary ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Hence, some servants went to the public market to buy first, before Gwen could do her errands. The Future Queen of Camelot kindly helped Merlin when she decided to sweep some more floors outside the hall.

“Are you thinking about home, again?” Gwen feebly asked, snapping her off from her thoughts.

Merlin looked at her new friend, a small smile on her face. Gwen looked worried, and maybe a tad sad for her situation. A small lump formed in her throat, but the princess forcefully swallowed it down.

She terribly missed home.

“Hmm, I guess,” she murmured, once again sweeping the floors, eyes downcast. Gwen took this as a cue to leave her alone to her thoughts and continued with her own task.

Truthfully, Merlin wasn’t thinking about home. Her nightmare last night had plagued her thoughts for the whole day, increasing her clumsiness and reprimands. She tried her best to put it at the back of her mind, but the face of evil Morgana constantly swam into her consciousness.

From what Gaius said, Morgana had gone rogue during this time, constantly into hiding and waiting to strike when Camelot was at its weakest. The Court Physician feared that it was the High Priestess’ fault why the original Arthur and Merlin were gone, and the princess couldn’t help but to silently concur.

All Merlin had were memories of Morgana. In their time, there were no signs of the reincarnated witch. Gaius explained that perhaps it wasn’t Morgana’s time to be reincarnated – Merlin took that as a good omen that nothing sinister would happen in the future.

Therefore, the image of Morgana in her nightmare had shaken her. Her dream was baffling; the recurrent icy room, battle-worn Arthur and Merlin, and Morgana… it was enough to distract her for the whole day.

“You’re doing it again,” Gwen said, a soft smile on her face.

Merlin gave her a distracted smile. “I miss home,” was all she offered as a reply.

The maidservant gave her a comforting hug, much to her surprise. It was quickly replaced by gratitude and as Merlin returned the hug, she couldn’t help but imagine it was her roommate Gwen that was hugging her instead.

“Oh, blast!” Guinevere exclaimed, tearing away from the hug. “I forgot I was supposed to wash Elyan’s clothes.” An apologetic smile appeared on her face as she gave her a farewell hug. “I’m sorry, Meredith. I will try to cheer you up in another day.”

“You are very kind, Gwen,” Merlin sighed, holding both of her hands in gratitude. “One day I will repay you.”

The future Queen of Camelot gave her one last smile before bounding away. Now, Merlin was left to her solitude, prompting her to grimace.

Sighing, she haphazardly swept the stone floors, the image of ice and fire, of blue and grey, dancing in her mind’s eye.

“Boo.”

“Eep!” Merlin exclaimed, swirling around in terror, only to see her bodyguard, chuckling in mirth. Her eyes narrowed, arms instantly crossing. “ _Arthur_ ,” she said through gritted teeth. “If I have the power, I would have sent you off to the stocks.”

“But you _don’t_ have the power,” he said, his grin widening. He pointed to himself and continued, “ _I_ have the power.”

She lifted her chin, challenging. “But you gave me immunity,” she reminded him. “Aren’t you a man of your word?”

The pretend king rolled his eyes. “Geez, princess, what got your knickers in a twist?” he said, falling into step beside her.

In spite of herself, Merlin smiled. It was refreshing to hear Arthur talk so informally. Every time she saw him, meeting with his council or interacting with his people, he was always so _regal_ and _formal_ it sometimes made her question who the royal was between the two of them. Merlin, on the other hand, was starting to adopt the words used by the other servants in the castle – words that could make Madame Margeaux’ blood boil.

“Nothing,” she quickly said, realizing that he was waiting for her reply.

Her response made him frown, absentmindedly carrying the broom for her as they walked away from the Hall of Ceremonies. “Is something the matter?” he asked, all mirth now gone from his face. Bodyguard Arthur became serious and regal and formal again. Merlin couldn’t help herself but to smile, even only a little.

“Don’t worry yourself about it,” she said, dismissive. “Only focus on being careful from any magical creatures lurking around, what with your affinity with dangerous beasts.” She remembered their little encounter with the amphisbaena and couldn’t help but to shiver.

“I do not need protection,” he claimed. “I have been trained since I was young to protect the princess. Hence, I am capable of taking care of myself.”

The princess released a soft snort. “Yes, keep telling that to the magical creatures that can’t seem to keep themselves off you,” she reminded him. Arthur’s cheeks colored a little, and he scowled. “Aww, don’t worry, my dear head bodyguard. Your princess is here to save the day.”

Her teasing made him scowl all the more.

They were finally in front of the the Court Physician’s bedchambers. Gaius was out in the village, treating an outbreak of cholera, and Merlin reckoned he would be gone for a while.

Arthur returned her broomstick and excused himself.

“You’re not staying?” Merlin asked, frowning. With nothing to do for the day, Merlin knew she was bound to get bored. At least with Arthur here, she would have some good company.

“I apologize, your highness,” the king said, inclining his head. “My uncle summons me in my bedchambers to talk about something urgent.”

Merlin’s frown deepened. “Agravaine, huh?” she said, hand already on the door handle.

“What about him?”

There was no point in lying. “He just… _unsettles_ me,” she blurted out, thinking about the shady lord. “I just couldn’t place my finger on something about him.” She racked her brain for any memory of him, but was disappointed that everything fogged up like how she felt prior to remembering her past. “I just… there’s something about him and I know I should remember something about him, but there is always nothing.”

Merlin recalled the first time she saw Lord Agravaine. It was the day after it was announced that the king was back and he was to meet his council. Merlin was tasked to clean the meeting room, and it baffled her when horror and disbelief crossed Agravaine’s face upon Arthur’s entrance. Merlin didn’t like his expression one bit and had been keeping an eye on him ever since.

To her surprise, Arthur laughed at her comment. “Oh, you’re being a paranoid little princess,” he teased. “Agravaine is actually just looking out for the king. He’d been of great help, honestly speaking.”

His comment made her frown more. “He just unsettles me, you prat,” she claimed, exasperated. “So please, for the love of all the good things in this kingdom, be _careful_.” The image of battling Arthur crossed her mind and she blanched, imagining if it was _her_ Arthur who was battered and bloodied

The desperation in her voice surprised him. With knitted eyebrows, he asked, “Seriously, is something bothering you, Merlin?”

Princess Merlin did not meet his gaze. “Nothing,” she repeated once more. Upon hearing voices from the corridor, Merlin quickly strode inside the door, leaving a small opening to spy outside. It turned out it was Agravaine and Geoffrey of Monmouth.

“My king, what are you doing here?” she heard Agravaine ask.

“I thought of speaking to Gaius, but it turned out he was still in the village,” Arthur replied. “I was just about to look for you, uncle.”

Their voices were now growing fainter, their footsteps more distant. Merlin opened the door wider and looked at their retreating backs, her stomach growing uncomfortable at the sight of Agravaine’s broad shoulders.

King Arthur gave a quick glance behind. Upon seeing Merlin’s gaze, his eyes softened in worry, before they finally disappeared around the corner.

Once they were completely gone, Merlin strode towards one of the benches and plopped down, hoping that her gut feeling was false and she was, in fact, just a _paranoid little princess_.

 _‘Your gut is rarely wrong,’_ a small voice whispered, prompting her to sigh.

With her nightmare and Agravaine in mind, coupled with her destiny with the Once and Future King, Merlin reckoned she had too much in her plate and merely hoped for the best.

* * *

Lost in a scene of endless greenery, Princess Merlin silently berated herself.

Being tasked to gather herbs for the Court Physician, Merlin had no choice but to embark on this tiring adventure. Gaius warned her that most of the herbs he needed were too rare to be found in the Darkling Woods. The forest near the Valley of the Fallen Kings would most probably be the best source for the much needed ingredients.

Merlin wondered if the Court Physician was punishing her for tinkering with some of his potions. There were a few explosions here and there, but nothing was harmed! She didn’t have any choice, really. Bored out of her wits, already finishing her chores early, she was left with nothing to do. Gaius’ potions were too pretty to be ignored, and she was curious as to why one bottle looked blue at one angle, and then gold at another. Her clumsy self knocked off one of the nearby potions, which started a domino effect, until two rows of plentiful potions spilt, strange fumes and small explosions following suit.

Hence, here was she, commanded by a merciless Gaius, to search for the ingredients that her clumsiness wasted.

 _‘Are you really a bloody princess?’_ Merlin cursed herself. She _hated_ how clumsy she could be. One of her maids and closest friend even humoured her in saying that on her coronation day as the new Queen of England, disaster would ensue due to her clumsiness.

“Merlin.”

Her head whipped around, eyes knitted, as she frantically searched around. The princess was positive she heard someone call out for her name, but to her dismay, she was alone in the forest.

 _I should be getting back, never mind the ingredients,’_ she told herself, bracing herself for a reprimand from the Court Physician.

“Merlin.”

There it was again, and Merlin was terrified. She quickened her pace, blindly trudging away from the Valley of the Fallen Kings. The only thought that ran through her mind was to flee this place. Her senses heightened in case she needed magic to defend herself.

“Merlin.”

The voice grew louder, much to her surprise. Princess Merlin wildly looked around, her heart plummeting as she realized she was off the path and quite possibly lost. Up ahead was a strange cave, which was giving off ethereal rays of light. A shiver ran down her spine, the voice growing louder and more beckoning, and she found herself unable to stop her legs from approaching the cave.

Merlin felt a certain sense of familiarity as she set afoot into the cave. A soft gasp escaped her lips, her blues eyes feasting on the twinkling crystals that seemed to entirely cover the inside of the cave.

She cautiously walked inside. The place hummed with unsuppressed magic and the princess, awed, strongly believed that the magic here was… _alive._

Her eyes never left the crystals as they projected her reflection. As her eyes landed from one crystal to another, one particular caught her attention for it projected a man. Gasping, she turned around, now face-to-face with the strange man she had seen in the crystals.

“Merlin,” he said, a small smile on his face. Her eyes widened, realizing it was him that had been calling her name.

“W-who are you?” she asked, taking a few cautious steps back. “Why do you know my name?”

The man surveyed her for a while, making her uncomfortable under his gaze. “ _Emrys_ ,” he said, “we have meet again.”

Her eyebrows knitted as his claim. Merlin racked her brain, trying to remember the man that stood before.

_“Tell me, why are you sad?”_

_“It’s my friend. He is dying and I can’t help him.”_

_“Then do not waste your tears. For I can tell you that the time for him to die is not yet upon us.”_

Eyes widening, her eyes snapped back at the stranger once more. “You are Taliesin,” she claimed.

“Indeed,” he said, strolling closer to the princess. “And I must confess, I did not expect to see you once more. But dark times are upon Albion, and there is a reason why fate has shifted and brought you to me.”

Merlin did not like how his eyes clouded ominously. The last time she saw him, she remembered the seeing things that brought fear into her heart. “You know why we are here?” she asked, hoping that their time-travelling will finally be answered.

“Your presence here, and the reincarnated Once and Future King, was summoned by the magic of old,” he explained. “I believe you know the answer to that question.”

The princess already had an inkling, all right. Gaius would always told her that perhaps their presence here in Ancient Camelot was because they had to find their original counterparts. Without them, she and her bodyguard would cease to exist and Albion would be in grave danger. Perhaps, she was still a little in denial of this huge task bestowed upon them by this so-called ‘magic of old’. Merlin had too many things in mind, being the Crown Princess of her country as one, and this _quest_ was too much for her.

Watery-eyed, she looked back at the seer. “I beg you,” she whispered, fear now gripping her heart for her safety and Arthur’s. “W-what must we do?”

Taliesin gestured at the crystals. “You have done this before,” he reminded her. “The crystals hold the future only you can see. Perhaps, they can give you the answer that you desperately need.”

Fearfully, Merlin looked, and waited for an image to appear. Once again, she saw ice… cold, biting _unending_ ice in a place she couldn’t recognize. She saw a glimpse of Merlin, the original her, standing beside her, their eyes simultaneously turning gold. An image of an injured Arthur was on the ground, and Merlin didn’t know whether it was the King or _her_ Arthur. Nonetheless, she felt fearful. And then she saw Morgana, wicked evil, her eyes reflecting a fiery pandemonium while Arthur’s crown sat atop her head. By the time she was done, tears steadily flowed down from her eyes.

“I… I’m scared.” Her voice was small, just like a child, as she looked back at Taliesin. His eyes had softened in sympathy.

“You must be brave, child,” he warned. “Dark times are upon us, and you are needed to protect the Once and Future King and save Albion. Be brave.”

He was gone with a blink of her eye and Merlin, too lost and terrified, slumped down on the floor and wept.

* * *

Arthur was immensely annoyed that the princess had ditched him. And to think it was her that suggested they meet in the abandoned garden for the night! But the bell tower signalled midnight, and he knew he had to retire to bed to rest.

Disgruntled, he couldn’t sleep. Million scenarios played in his mind, wondering as to why the princess did not appear.

“Trysten!”

A young knight came into his room. “Yes, sire?” he inquired.

The king ignored the remnants of sleep on the knight’s face. Usually, he would have a fit, secretly fond while remembering his friends back home who seemed to have this knack of falling asleep when guarding the princess’ door. “Bring me, Meredith,” he commanded. “Tell her she is summoned.”

“Now, my lord?” the knight asked, confused.

Arthur held back himself from rolling his eyes. “Yes, now, you idiot,” he spat. “Now go!” As the knight scrambled away, the bodyguard slumped back on his bed and sighed.

His temper was becoming uncontrolled, that much he knew, but he shouldn’t be blamed at all. His workload was starting to tire him, with his council constantly jabbering in his ears about what to do and what not to do. He might have had some angry bursts hither thither, but thankfully, they did not voice their opinions out loud. Agravaine was especially a _pain_ ; it didn’t help that Merlin warned him to be careful around him.

And Princess Merlin.

It annoyed him to bits and pieces that as the pretend King of Camelot, he must neglect his foremost duty to protect the princess. He knew that Merlin was managing herself well and had steered away from danger’s path for the past few days, but that did not bring him comfort. It was tempting to breakaway from his duties just to accompany Merlin to her errands and make sure she would come back safe. It was most especially _tempting_ to fire his manservant and give her George’s position just to keep an eye on her at all times. But no, _gods no_ , he couldn’t do all of these things just because he was a _fricking_ King of this country.

He didn’t sign up for this. He was trained to be a bloody bodyguard for the future queen of England, for heaven’s sake!

Arthur bolted up from his bed as a knock came from outside his door. “Come in,” he said. Sir Trysten strode inside, Princess Merlin trailing behind him. “Thank you, sir. You may go.”

The knight bowed and walked outside, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Arthur gave Merlin a piercing glare. He was waiting for her to spout her apologies for making him wait, but when none came, his glare faltered. With her head bowed, he couldn’t make out the expression on her face.

“Princess?” he cautiously asked.

When she slowly lifted her head, he first noticed how red her eyes were. Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise, now scrambling up from his bed. “What is it?” he asked, panicked. He wondered if a monstrous beast had bothered the princess. “Have you been crying?”

His question triggered more tears to fall, and Merlin sounded she was inconsolable. To his utmost surprise, she ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tight. She buried her wet face on his shoulder and continued to sob.

The bodyguard was at loss of what to do. It took him a full minute to return the hug, to wrap his arms around her comfortingly. “What happened?” he murmured once more, softly stroking her back for comfort.

“This destiny business is rubbish,” she said, hiccupping against his chest. “I-I don’t think I’m good in protecting you, Arthur.”

He was baffled by her words, wondering as to what had transpired awhile ago. Arthur heard from Gaius that Merlin was sent to the forest to gather the ingredients for the potions she wasted. That little adventure was not exactly tear-jerking. And this destiny that she spoke…

“I still managed to be reincarnated at the same time that you did,” he said, slight humor in his voice. “So perhaps this destiny business is rubbish, but you aren’t exactly the worst protector I ever had.”

He wanted to ask her more about her distress, but when she released a wet chuckle, he was relieved.

She lifted her swollen face to look at him, and slightly smiled. “T-thank you, Arthur,” she whispered. He swore he felt an odd somersault in his stomach as he returned her smile.


	15. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Lady Vivian and Princess Merlin starts to feel weird things to her bodyguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. I'm currently swamped with schoolwork huhu

* * *

Never in her whole life did Princess Merlin thought she would be making beds. Her morning routine always consisted of washing up, eating breakfast, and prettying herself with the help of her servants. Such trivial things like making her own bed were always left in the care of her faithful maids. Thinking about how a lazy-ass she was back home made Merlin embarrassed.

Pretending to be a maidservant in ancient Camelot actually taught her a lot of things. Her experience humbled her down. She actually admired her maids back home, attending to such a spoilt princess that did not deserve their respect.

“You know,” Merlin started, looking at Guinevere. The said blacksmith’s daughter was with her in one of the guestrooms in the castle. Apparently, some royals would arrive and they were tasked to prepare the room. Gwen was currently emptying the laundry basket, albeit a little distractedly.

“Yes?” Gwen asked, prompting her to continue.

The princess sighed and patted the bedcovers down. “Back home,” she said, “I… never really do chores.”

Gwen’s reply was a surprised smile. “Your mother might have reprimanded you,” she said, returning to the laundry basket.

Merlin smiled. On the contrary, her mother would be _aghast_ to see her fixing her own bed. “Oh, my mother will surprise you, really,” was her reply. 

The other maidservant hummed in response, and silence once again was heard in the room.

As Princess Merlin continued her other tasks in preparing the room, she couldn’t help but shoot furtive looks of wonder at the future Queen of Camelot. As more days passed by, Merlin was starting to see the stark differences between original Gwen and her future Gwen. Original Gwen was timid and simple; back home, Gwen liked to talk and dress up into very pretty clothes. Also, between Merlin and future Gwen, the former was far tidier than her roommate.

At the same time, their similarities grew. Both hated eating fish and potatoes, although maidservant Gwen did not have the luxury to deny food. Both had the same smile, the same laugh, the same glare they give off when they are mad. Most of all, both were dearly close to Merlin’s heart, and the princess knew that either here or in the future, she would surely miss either one of them.

Her thoughts were halted as Gwen bumped against a large, expensive vase. Merlin acted out of instinct and dove down, thankfully cushioning the fall. Gwen had gasped at her surprising actions and quickly knelt down, relieving her from the heavy vase.

“Oh… oh blast, Meredith, I am very sorry,” she said, horrified. Gwen placed the expensive vase back on its rightful place and backed away from it. “T-that was very clumsy of me, I’m sorry.”

“And that was very unlady-like of me,” Merlin murmured, amused with herself. Her stomach and arms were smarting from her unexpected dive, but she was unscathed. Gwen helped her back on her feet, her face still twisted with utmost regret.

Merlin laughed at her face. “Oh, Gwen, I’m all right,” she said, gesturing at herself. “Thankfully, the vase did not break. Madame Brenda would have a fit, I’m quite sure.”

Elyan’s sister blushed and hid her face behind her hands. “I’m terribly sorry,” she murmured once more. She removed her hands from her face and sighed, bending down to retrieve the clothes that were now strewn haphazardly on the floor.

“Are you quite all right, Gwen?” the princess asked, bending down to help her. “You seemed to be awfully distracted today.”

Much to her surprise, Gwen’s cheeks reddened more. “Err… King Olaf and his daughter, Lady _Vivian_ , are coming to Camelot for political reasons,” she explained, almost rushed into a whisper.

Merlin gave her a strange look, not quite understanding what she wanted to say. “Right,” she said, “and that worries you because?”

The future Queen of Camelot gave her a nervous smile, her cheeks increasing in redness. “Never mind that, Meredith,” she said, the clothes now bundled in her arms. “I’ll see you later, yes? Good day.”

With that, Gwen quickly strode out of the room, leaving a confused Merlin behind.

* * *

_“Á_ _bregdan wéod.”_ **[1]**

Princess Merlin watched with satisfaction as the weeds from the messy garden started to uproot. They neatly stacked into a pile beside the princess and this continued on for a while. Arthur was running a little late, much to her chagrin. She was swamped for the day, having cleaned various rooms for the arrival of King Olaf and his daughter and all she wanted to do was to crawl into her bed and sleep the tiredness away.

The sun was slowly making its descent and the moon already peaked high above the sky. It was particularly cloudy that night, and the breeze cool. Soon, the weeds were gone, leaving the abandoned garden almost barren. Merlin frowned at the blatant lack of flowers to beautify the land and made a mental note to master the spell for growing flowers in the future. She then shot a quick fire spell on the pile of weeds to get rid of them.

"Hey you.”

Merlin shot Arthur a glare as the tired king sauntered closer and sat down beside her. She was ready for a reprimand, but stopped herself in the end. King Arthur seemed preoccupied; she did not have the heart to be snarky today. She wondered what could have been causing his fatigue, at the same time remembering the same demeanor that Gwen displayed a while ago.

She took a guess and inquired, “Are you worried about the arrival of King Olaf and Lady Vivian?”

His reaction was instant, for his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He turned his face toward her in amazement. “What, are you a seer now?” he asked, still clearly in disbelief.

The princess grinned and merely shrugged her shoulders. “Gwen was acting exactly like that just this morning,” she explained. “I just guessed.”

Her bodyguard took a sharp intake of breath and sighed. “I'm not surprised,” he said and Merlin frowned. 

“You know,” she quipped, “honestly, I don’t really get why you’re worried for their arrival.” She tried to rack her brain about the certain royals and still could not come up with a memory. 

“You don’t remember?” he asked in disbelief. Upon shooting a quizzical look, Arthur explained. “Remember the peace talks among Camelot and the Five Kingdoms? King Olaf was invited and he brought his daughter, Vivian.” She still gave him a blank stare and he sighed. “No? Gorgeous but rude to the bone?” Merlin merely laughed at his exasperated expression. “King Alined’s jester gave both Vivian and Original Arthur some love potion so that they’d fall in love to ruin the peace talks. Vivian’s father was notorious for being terrifying to her suitors.”

An image of a lovesick Arthur crossed her mind and her eyes lightened in remembrance. “Oh!” she expressed, vigorously nodding her head. “I remember.”

“Finally,” Arthur said.

“Although,” she continued, eyebrows knitting, “I am not quite sure why you’re worried. You resolved your issue with King Olaf and he wouldn’t demand for a combat or anything, I’m sure.”

“It’s not Olaf I’m worried about, it’s his daughter,” he explained. The look of worry once again graced his handsome features as he expelled a sigh. “Original Arthur received a kiss from his one, true love to break the spell, but I am not really quite sure if Lady Vivian’s spell was broken already.”

Merlin’s eyes widened in understanding. “So…” she slowly said, “there might still be a chance that she’s in love with you.”

Her bodyguard nodded to confirm her theory. “King Olaf was awfully protective of his daughter. I’m sure that habit would be hard to break. Besides, I heard that she is still very much single, so I doubt she met her true love already.”

“Oh,” she said, now growing worried herself. “But, you’re not Original Arthur, and she’s in love with _him_. There might be a chance that she might not be in love with you!”

“Which is still worrisome,” Arthur pointed out. “King Olaf knew how the spell would break, and if he sees his daughter not being all lovesick towards the king of Camelot would raise some curious questions, you know.”

“Oh blast,” Merlin muttered, now crossing her arms. “Either way, you’d be dead.”

Arthur shook his head. “ _We’d_ be dead,” he corrected.

Merlin released an unlady-like snort. “Right,” she said. “Well, if I were you, I’d be more worried as King Arthur than plain, ol’ Meredith. I’m just a feeble servant compared to the well-known, legendary King of Camelot.”

He replied with a mere glare, prompting her to chuckle. “Don’t worry,” she reassured. “I’ll think of a plan whatever happens. For now, be the King Arthur everybody loves and try to keep the lady at an arm’s length.”

Arthur was remembering how bewitched his original counterpart and Vivian were all over each other. Shivering, he closed his eyes and sighed. “All right,” he said. “I will try my best.”

* * *

The servants were ordered to line up outside to greet the arrival of King Olaf. Merlin stood beside Gwen, already instructed to follow every beck and call of Lady Vivian, and the princess could feel the dread looming over her friend’s head. The horn then blasted throughout the town square, mingled with noisy hooves as King Olaf and a small band of knights galloped towards King Arthur and his court.

A part of her wished that Lady Vivian’s arrival would merely be a rumor, but upon seeing an unmistakable beauty riding beside King Olaf, Arthur’s worst fears came true. Seeing the two royals once more inside the territory of Camelot brought all the memories regarding the two into her mind, and now, she fully understood the worry that Arthur was having.

Merlin shot a quick glance at her bodyguard and held back a smile. Despite his panic last night, Arthur looked seriously calm and regal. He stood tall and handsome as he greeted King Olaf, his shining crown perched atop his golden hair. Merlin found herself staring more at her bodyguard than his exchange with the foreign king, before catching herself with a silent berating.

“Welcome, King Olaf,” she heard him say. “I trust you had a pleasant journey?”

“Yes, thank you,” Olaf replied, his voice still stiff and haughty.

A knight helped Lady Vivian to unmount from her horse. She then sauntered towards King Arthur and made a show to prettily curtsy, albeit a little exaggerated. “My king,” she breathed, voice light and airy Merlin swore she heard some tinkling bells as she spoke. She offered her hand, cheeks already coloring a rosy pink as Arthur bent down to brush his lips against her knuckles.

Merlin bit down a scowl this time, as Lady Vivian giggled behind her free hand. _‘Guess she’s still under the spell,’_ she bitterly thought to herself. King Olaf had to pull Vivian to his side to keep her at bay. It seemed like the lady was about to throw a tantrum, and Arthur now turned to his servants.

His eyes were searching until he found her. A brief look of desperation crossed his features before he stood up a tad taller. “Meredith,” he called.

Princess Merlin stepped forward. “Sire.”

“Show Lady Vivian to her room,” he ordered.

She gave him a brief curtsy before rushing forward. The lady was still squirming in her father’s arms and as Merlin neared, she heard King Olaf whisper to his daughter, “I knew it would be a terrible idea to bring you with me.”

Merlin curtsied and King Olaf seemed to push his daughter toward her a little forcefully. “Be good, Vivian,” he commanded, as he quickly walked away to catch up with King Arthur.

Lady Vivian prettily pouted and harrumphed at Merlin. “Hurry, servant girl,” she ordered. “I have to change my dress for Arthur.” A dreamy smile crossed her face upon mentioning of the king.

The princess grimaced whilst nodding her head. _‘This would be a long week,’_ she groaned inside.

* * *

Lady Vivian was such a pain.

Merlin had echoed the exact words to Gwen, who merely gave her an apologetic hug. Having attended to the lady before, Gwen could relate. Added to that fact was her incessant flirtations toward King Arthur, and Princess Merlin was almost at the brink of snapping and slapping that lovesick look on the pretty lady’s face.

 _‘Wow, Merlin, Camelot made you bold,’_ she told herself, amused with her thoughts. Her mother would have a fit at how unladylike she was slowly becoming.

But the lady seemed to bring out the worst in Merlin, and she tried extra harder to keep her composure.

For the following days, Lady Vivian made some stint just to win the heart of King Arthur once again. On her first night in Camelot, Merlin already lost sight of the lady, bringing dread to her heart. As she worriedly scoured the whole castle just to find the lady, a blushing Percival approached her, together with a sulking Lady Vivian already in her nightclothes. King Olaf was behind her, also red in the face, but this time due to fury, as he reprimanded his daughter _and her_ for the whole castle to hear.

Merlin already contented herself by drilling holes at the back of Lady Vivian’s head as she escorted her back to her room and made sure to leave once she made sure she was sound asleep.

“What happened?” Merlin asked, now emerging from Vivian’s room. Percival was assigned to guard King Olaf’s daughter’s door for the night.

Sir Percival blushed once more, and Merlin rolled her eyes at his obvious embarrassment. “Well,” he started, pausing to clear his throat. “The lady was found on King Arthur’s bed while dressed, err, inappropriately. It just so happens that his father was accompanying our king.”

Merlin snorted, much to Percival’s surprise. “She got it bad, eh?” she said.

Percival knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “Got it bad?” he said, askance.

The princess colored. “Err… I meant, she is still in love with Arthur, yes?” she quickly corrected.

The knight grinned. “Oh,” he said, eyeing Merlin in mirth. “You have a funny way of saying things, Meredith. But yes, Lady Vivian, to quote you, _got it_ bad.” He made quotation marks in the air. “I wasn’t here yet when the whole love potion fiasco happened, but I heard from Elyan, whom he heard from Guinevere, that it was real bad. The lady is a beauty, though. A pity she still could not find someone to break the spell for her.”

The princess nodded her head. “A pity,” she echoed, imagining Lady Vivian throwing a tantrum. Secretly, she thought her attitude might have something to do about it. “Well, I must retire to my bedchambers now,” she said. “Goodnight, good sir.”

“Good night, Meredith.”

* * *

If Merlin thought that the first night was bad, the following days were a disaster.

King Olaf requested to visit Camelot because they were being invaded by bandits, and he needed the help from King Arthur to further defend his kingdom. Because of this, numerous meetings had happened, together with Arthur’s trusted council to give some pieces of advice before he decide on how to help the foreign king.

This also meant that Lady Vivian would be present most of the time, doting for the handsome King of Camelot, which would disrupt the meetings and would exasperate King Olaf. The whole kingdom already waited in bated breath whether their king would fall victim to the beautiful lady’s flirtations. And Arthur… Well, Arthur was still holding on, but Merlin feared he would explode soon.

Lady Vivian’s shenanigans also made her exhausted, bounding from here to there just to follow her orders and make sure the lady would not do anything that could jeopardize her. They were roughly of the same age, but Merlin swore Vivian acted like a child. Throwing tantrums whenever she did not get what she wanted easily made her an unlikable person. Merlin thanked the gods above her parents were strict enough not to entirely spoil her, making her the noble, beautiful princess she was.

 _‘Yeah, beautiful,’_ she thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she now picked up all the discarded clothes of Lady Vivian in her room. Thankfully, the lady was out riding her horse with her father to tour Camelot, giving her the much needed rest that she deserved.

As Merlin absentmindedly cleaned the room, she couldn’t help but to compare herself with Vivian. Beauty wise, it was plain to see she would lose. Lady Vivian was absolutely breathtaking, with blond hair and pretty blue eyes, petite waist, and a sweet laugh. Merlin disliked her curly hair and her large ears, and well, simply speaking, she was _plain_ compared to Vivian. Despite being spoiled, Vivian could get anything she wanted just by charming people. She could honestly see how the knights would line up every time she would cross the courtyard or attend the meetings with her father.

 _‘They could be more discreet, honestly,’_ she thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she remembered Gwaine’s flirtatious wink toward the lady or Elyan’s wide smile at her direction.

It thanked her immensely, though, that Vivian’s attitude paled in comparison to her beauty. Else, she would be perfect, _too_ perfect, and Arthur, without any doubt, would fall in love with her, under a spell or not.

Arthur seemed to be having the hardest time, juggling between politics and gallantly rejecting Vivian’s affections. Merlin had been watching him during this whole ordeal since his busy schedule meant he could not meet up with her in the abandoned garden. Dare she say it, she missed him, and she wanted to give him some comfort for everything he had been going through. Arthur had no idea how happy she was when he agreed to finally meet with her later that night.

To top it all, Gwen was _miserable_. It just strengthened the fact that she was truly, deeply in love with Arthur, the _original_ Arthur. She had been the receiving end of Madame Brenda’s wrath for this past few days due to her clumsiness. Merlin had constantly stuck to her side, helped her distracted friend, and did not even ask a question when Gwen broke down one night and cried when they passed by Arthur with Vivian’s arm looped around his.

Merlin rose this concern to Arthur later that night, and the King, resigned, sighed. “I do know of Gwen’s love,” he declared, slumping against the mossy wall in exhaustion. “I still remember the lingering feelings the Once and Future King had for his future wife.”

She did not understand why she felt uncomfortable with his words. Unmistakable misery also settled in her heart and she unceasingly denied that she did not also feel awful when she saw Arthur with Vivian a while ago. “How do you feel about Gwen, then?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened, realizing what she asked, and was about to apologize for her question but stopped upon seeing Arthur’s intense blue eyes staring down at her.

“I am not King Arthur,” he firmly told her. “I am Bodyguard Arthur.”

Strange warmness bloomed in her heart and she gave him the prettiest smile she could muster. “Okay,” she said, shyly tucking an ebony strand behind her large ear. “Okay.”

The night sky was clear, the moon shining bright, and Merlin, for the life of her, could not explain the sudden happiness she felt.

* * *

“Gaius, help me,” Merlin whined, holding both of Gaius’ hands to implore.

The Court Physician looked amused at her antics. “Lady Vivian is giving you a hard time, I assume,” he said, as he returned to chopping a root she did not know.

“Hard is an understatement,” she sulked, placing her head on the wooden table in exhaustion.

It was the eve of King Olaf and Lady Vivian’s departure, and Merlin never felt so exhausted in her whole life. The looming departure made Vivian extra rigorous in pursuing Arthur, and this meant that Merlin had to step up and be extra vigilant in babysitting the lady. Vivian had requested a lot of ridiculous things today, and the princess had no choice but to go hither thither just to answer her call.

Vivian’s bedtime had already passed, and Merlin was thankful for the peace she could finally have.

“Go sleep in your room now, dear girl,” the Court Physician said.

Merlin straightened up and nodded her head, overly excited to comply. But then, she remembered she was unable to bring Vivian’s snack for tonight, prompting her to bolt up from the bench. The lady would have a fit, and mostly likely be wandering in the corridors, and King Olaf would have her head.

“I forgot to do something,” she cried, now dashing out of the room. She made a quick trip to the kitchens to gather Vivian’s sweets, before jogging briskly toward the room of the lady. However, as she rounded a corner, the unmistakable figure of her bodyguard stood outside Lady Vivian’s door. Merlin quickly scrambled into an alcove to hide, unable to understand why she felt awfully dreadful at his sight.

Arthur knocked on Vivian’s door and Merlin knew the lady would still be awake, dreamily brushing her hair and the like. Her bedroom door opened, and the princess peeked, able to see the surprise the appeared on Vivian’s pretty face.

“Arthur!” she exclaimed, her voice a tad higher than usual. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Princess Merlin swallowed. Did her bodyguard finally fall into Vivian’s charms? It wouldn’t be surprising if he did. Who could ever deny such a beauty?

She knew she wouldn’t.

“Lady Vivian,” King Arthur urgently said. Merlin saw how he took a few steps back when Lady Vivian made a move to throw her arms around him. “I… I apologize for visiting at such an ungodly hour, but I must tell you something. It has been bothering me for a while now and I could not sleep without seeing you before you leave.”

Merlin scowled when Vivian’s eyes twinkled in unsuppressed delight.

“What is it, my king?” she asked sweetly.

The princess held her breath as Arthur took a sharp one, before saying, “I… I have been rude to you for the past few days. So please, my lady, forgive me for being such a cad.”

Lady Vivian smiled so brightly. “Oh my sweet, noble king, you must not worry,” she said. “I will forgive you a hundred times if you permit me so.” 

King Arthur fidgeted with her response, falling silent for a few seconds. He then proceeded to clear his throat and straightened up. “Right,” he said, “then, I bid you a good night, my lady. You must rest now since you have to leave early.”

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. Arthur wasn’t there to proclaim his love but to apologize for his actions for the past few days. She grinned, relaxing in the alcove. How sweet and noble of him.

“WAIT!” Vivian finally cried, stopping Arthur from his tracks. Merlin peeked once more to see the spectacle, only to see Vivian rushing towards the king and throwing her arms around his neck. “I thought you would confess your love for me.”

Arthur’s eyes widened as he tried to pull her away from him. “Lady Vivian, it is late,” he said, tiptoeing around the topic. “You must rest.”

“But I love you!” she exclaimed, tears now streaming down from her cheeks. “I’ve always loved you.” She wiped away her tears and woefully peered at him through her long, wet lashes. “Why can’t you love me too? Is it my father? I can convince him this time, I promise you.”

The king sighed and shook his head. “Forgive me, but I cannot return your affections,” he murmured, prompting her tears to continue. “You are under a spell and I… I cannot help you. One day, you will find someone who will break you from this spell. And besides, I have already pledged my loyalty to another.”

Vivian’s cries rang throughout the corridor. Merlin pressed herself against the wall and stayed in the alcove until a door was slammed and Arthur’s heavy footsteps disappeared. She was oblivious of the wide grin that stretched on her face.

* * *

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you liked Vivian’s attention.”

Merlin was teasing, all right, but she cringed a little at how accusatory she sounded. Thankfully, her bodyguard merely rolled his eyes. “I have no time to engage in such frivolous relationships,” he retaliated. “Besides, a more pressing matter is at hand. I’m sure King Balinor would have scoured the whole England to search for you.”

Upon the mention of her father, Merlin frowned. It had been a while now since she thought about her parents. The whole Vivian fiasco made her so preoccupied she momentarily forgot their current predicament. _‘Eyes front, soldier,’_ she told herself, sighing as she now pressed her back against the cold, stone wall.

King Olaf and Lady Vivian already returned to their kingdom, together with some of Camelot’s knights in order to aid the king with the invasions. Camelot was back to normal, and a whole lot peaceful now that the spoilt daughter of the king was absent. Even Gwen was back to normal; Merlin even suspected that there was a distinct bounce in her steps, knowing that Arthur was still a free man. Her bodyguard also felt humongously relieved that his meeting with the king went well, despite the heartbroken lady that left his kingdom.

Merlin embraced the much needed normalcy, knowing that something was brewing, and Camelot would be once more robbed from the peace it deserved.

“Lady Vivian would make a decent queen, you know,” she added, an afterthought. Arthur’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “I mean, all right, she may be spoilt and everything, but she is young. She can still be groomed to become one someday.” _‘Just like how my parents and their council groomed me,’_ she added in her mind, flashbacks of strict tutoring sessions dancing in her mind’s eye.

“I do not really plan on sticking around to search for a wife,” the king said. “I have far too many responsibilities to oversee while my original counterpart is still missing. And besides…” He turned his head towards the princess, a wide grin stretched on his face. Merlin almost rolled her eyes at how _perfect_ the moonbeam lightened up his handsome face. She knew it was a bad idea sitting down on his left side today. “I have already pledged my loyalty to you. I cannot afford to be distracted now, can I?”

" _I have already pledged my loyalty to another.”_

On second thought, Merlin thought it was _perfect_ that she chose to sit on his left side. Because of this, the shadows were able to mask how her cheeks colored a vivid shade of red due to his words. Merlin almost clutched her chest, her heart threatening to burst out from her ribcage and she silently cursed, imploring the gods above as to why Arthur Pendragon was doing strange things to her.

* * *

 

 **[1]** **_Á_ ** **_bregdan wéod_ ** **– Remove weeds**


	16. Camelotian Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was during a Camelotian Fair when Princess Merlin realized she could not deny anymore

“A Camelotian Fair?” Merlin inquired breathlessly, rounding-about as she questioningly looked at the Future Queen of Camelot. “Seriously?”

Gwen chuckled at her friend’s obvious excitement. “Yes, Meredith, a _fair_ ,” she reiterated. “A small band of travelling performers are to arrive a fortnight from now, and merchants from nearby kingdoms heard the news, so I believe Camelot will have a festive fair and everybody is invited.”

Merlin paused her stitching to imagine this Camelotian fair. From her history books, she always encountered festivities like these and always wondered how one would look like in the flesh. As a sucker for history, this would be a dream come true. “Can we come?” she asked, eyes now shining bright with anticipation.

“Hmm, perhaps,” she chimed back, grimacing as she looked at her own stitching. “Madame Brenda usually forbade us to go to such frivolities if we still have some tasks to do.”

Today, they were appointed to repair the damaged curtains in the whole castle to be reused when the need arose. Gwen still could not understand why they had to do such a thing when the Royal House of Pendragon could actually afford to buy new batches of curtains. Secretly, Merlin thought, her Arthur might be starting to be _wiser_.

The princess shot Guinevere’s serene smile with knitted eyebrows. “And you’re happy because?” she asked.

Elyan’s sister blushed at being caught and cleared her throat. “No, I am not happy,” she shot back, now absentmindedly starting to stitch once more. “I am not really quite sure if we would miss out if we do not attend. The last time I’ve been to a fair was when I was five years old, and I could not really remember anything.”

Princess Merlin pouted and scooted closer to her friend. “But Gwen,” she whined, “aren’t you curious at all?” Because she was _itching_ with curiosity and, for the life of her, she knew she could not miss this opportunity of attending. When the maidservant shook her head, Merlin implored, “Please Gwen! I have never been to a fair before.”

It was technically not true. As the future queen of her own kingdom, Merlin was required to attend various festivals to show her people that she could be socially visible even during the simplest times. But the fact was, this was a fair of ancient times and she must _attend_.

“I’m sorry, Meredith,” Gwen told her apologetically. “I would love to accompany you, but I really have a lot of things to attend to. Maybe next time.”

She sighed and slumped on her seat. “All right,” she said, frowning. “Maybe I could ask Gaius to show me around.”

Gwen shrugged. “You could do that,” she replied.

* * *

“I am too old for such events, my dear girl,” was Gaius reply when she asked him to accompany her to the Camelotian fair.

Gaius was currently in his chambers, brewing a new batch of potions for the kingdom. Merlin took this opportunity to ask the kind, old physician to show her around the town once the fair commenced. But, to her dismay, he also turned down her invitation.

“But Gaius,” she implored, “I would really like for you to come with me.”

The Court Physician chuckled, absentmindedly swirling on his cauldron. “My rickety knees will only hold you back,” he explained. “Besides, I can foresee how energetic you will be on that day, so I might as well take a day off. Why don’t you ask Guinevere?”

“I already did, but she has other plans,” she grumbled, her forehead connecting on the wooden table.

“Well, why not the other servants?” he offered. Merlin grimaced with her face hidden. Gaius did not need to know that she was not exactly _friendly_ with the other servants besides Gwen. They did not especially like how slacking she could be. “Or maybe the knights?”

That suggestion perked her up. Lifting her face off the table, she gave Gaius a brilliant smile. “That’s a wonderful idea!” she exclaimed, now scrambling on her feet. “Thanks Gaius!”

With her excitement, she bounded for the door, only tripping a little as she crossed the threshold. She shot Gaius a sheepish smile as the old man laughed, shaking his head and thinking she looked awfully like his ward more and more each day.

* * *

Elyan was still together with King Olaf to deal with the invaders in his kingdom. Leon had to train aspiring knights on that day. Percival had to return to his hometown to attend to the needs of his sick mother. All that was left to ask was Gwaine.

Merlin grimaced, the thought of flirtatious Gwaine accompanying her throughout the whole trip made her doubt asking him a little. They did establish a friendship on the day Merlin obtained the tears of the magical stag for the ailing Arthur, but Merlin was sure he would be cheeky the whole trip. He was charming, all right, but it was hard to hold back whenever he’d flirt with her.

But then, not having another choice (and not exactly _friends_ with the other knights), Merlin found herself in the armory. Leon pointed out that Gwaine was off polishing his sword and Merlin might probably catch him there before he starts disappearing to the taverns.

As she entered the room, a strong smell of sweat and steel hit her. Merlin scrunched up her nose and looked around, finally catching Gwaine at the far end of the room. His steel sword was out and Merlin blanched a little upon noticing some brown, crusted spots she hoped were not blood at all.

“Gwaine,” she called.

The knight looked up and upon seeing her, grinned. “Pretty lass,” he greeted back. “What brings your pretty face in this dreary room?”

“I have a proposition to make,” she said, sauntering closer. “Would you like to go to the Camelotian fair with me?”

He raised one, perfectly arched eyebrow. “Are you asking me for a date?” he asked, followed by a chuckle as Merlin turned into a deep shade of maroon.

“W-what?! No!” she defended, willing her cheeks to cool down. “It’s just… I don’t have anyone to accompany me to the fair and I would really like to go.”

“I’m surprised you asked me, really,” he said, chuckling as he finally sheathed his gleaming sword. “But alas, Meredith, I have to refuse you this time.” Upon her confused expression, he plastered a grin. “Let us just say, another lady had asked for my company on the said fair.”

It was clear she was disappointed. “Oh,” she said, frowning once more. “Well, at least I tried.” She made a move to leave but said, “Be good, Gwaine.”

The handsome knight half-mockingly bowed. “I will try my best, pretty lass,” he said.

“Don’t call me that!” she cried, indignant.

All he did was laugh, muss up her hair, and walked out of the armory. Merlin irately patted her hair down and glared at his retreating back, annoyed that she still had not found a companion on the day of the fair. _‘Well, there’s another one…’_ a voice whispered in her head, but she shook that thought away whilst blushing. She knew that Arthur was quite busy with his royal work and he would have no time to get away and attend such silly events.

And besides, Merlin was positively sure he made her feel weird things, and it would be best for the both of them if she could spend lesser time with him until those weird feelings go away.

Fate was annoying, however, for as soon as Merlin walked out of the armory, the said King Arthur was walking directly towards her. Adrenaline told her to scamper away, but Arthur already had his eyes locked on her, and she did not want Arthur to become confused and suspicious with her sudden avoidance.

“Inside,” Arthur ordered, and Merlin found herself taking a few steps back inside the armory.

“B-but Arthur,” she lightly stammered, “People might see.”

Looking around the room, she noticed that they were the only ones inside. _‘Bummer,’_ she thought, wondering how convenient it was that they were alone.

“Gwaine told me of your, well, _predicament_ , your highness,” he finally said, dropping down his royal image. “Why didn’t you ask me first? I am your head bodyguard; I must protect you!”

Merlin blushed and looked away from his questioning gaze. “Right,” she said, mentally cursing that smirking bastard named Gwaine. She started talking, wildly gesturing with her hands, “Well, first of all, _you are king_! I am sure that you have other things to do than accompany me to a silly fair. And second” – she paused, trying to think of another excuse – “err, umm, _you are king_!” Arthur gave her a look as though she was ridiculous. “I-I mean, in this world you are king, and I’m a servant, and we cannot really be seen together, you know.”

He was silent as he took in her words. “Well,” he started, “I do not really have any pressing matters as of the moment. Agravaine, thankfully, rode back to his hometown to attend to matters, so no one is really pestering me to finish things. And besides, I could actually just dress myself as a peasant to accompany you. I’ve done it before… I mean, Original Arthur did it before, so I could too.”

His explanation made sense, much to her chagrin. “That is wonderful, then,” Merlin stiffly said, lifting her chin. “Then, I will meet you near the gates at noon on the day of the festival.”

Arthur nodded his head. “Of course, princess, I will not be late,” he said, tilting his head in acknowledgement.

“All right, that is all,” she said. “I still have some laundry to attend to.”

The king gave her an amused smile. “Of course,” he said once more. He then gestured at the door. “After you, milady.”

Merlin nodded her head and turned around. She walked outside and it was only after she reached the end of the corridor when she heard the opening of the armory door and Arthur’s unmistakable footsteps.

* * *

_‘How can these things be itchy?’_ Arthur mentally cried, scratching furiously on a spot just above his neck. With the help of Gwaine, he was able to smuggle some peasant garb that Arthur could wear as a disguise today. The pretend king thought he was used to the silken cloth he was always forced to wear, his skin was reacting to the starchy plain cloth of a simple peasant’s tunic. 

It was already high noon and the princess was still nowhere to be found. He was already waiting at the gates, as what she ordered, and thankfully, no one still noticed the disguised king. Outside the castle gates, he could already hear the merry jibe from the town and wondered what an ancient fair would look like. From what he heard from his council, events like these boost the economy of Camelot. Arthur then proceeded to thought that perhaps, events like these would be an opportunity to garner more riches for his kingdom.

A quick glance at the bell tower and Arthur knew she was running late. It did not really surprise him, knowing that his future queen had a knack of being late on scheduled meetings and events. Perhaps, it had stemmed way back from her original counterpart and, with a smile, Arthur thought that Merlin would not be Merlin if she (or he) would not be late at all.

 _‘Perhaps,’_ he pondered, _‘Princess Merlin had been too excited for today to have some sleep last night.’_

“I’m sorry!” a breathless greeting cried, and Arthur turned around to welcome the princess. However, words seemed to leave him as he beheld her and stared.

He had seen her in numerous dresses, of course. This era still had not discovered the wonders of jeans, and the women were supposed to wear long dresses that covered them up to their ankles. But, it was obvious that Merlin was wearing the best dress she had now. She even fixed her hair, pulled back with the aid of Original Merlin’s neckerchief.

He had almost forgotten how she looked back in their time, with gorgeous dresses and pretty up ‘dos, and _gods,_ he felt like he was staring once more at the future queen of England. “My lady,” he beckoned, automatically bowing for respect.

“What are you doing?” she inquired, slightly out of breath from running, and surprised with his actions.

Arthur caught himself and straightened up, sheepishly smiling down at the beautiful princess. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I almost forgot that here, I am the king, and you are the servant.”

She gave him a strange look but did not reply at all.

“Shall we go now?” the bodyguard asked, prompting her to nod her head.

They stepped out of the gates and into the town square, bombarded with colorful stalls, loud music, and merry laughter. Strong smells of exotic perfume and delicacies tickled their noses and Arthur watched as the princess bounded from one stall to another.

“Slow down,” he implored, an hour later as the princess now have towering books of romantic adventures, different trinkets, and perfumes that almost robbed her from her meager salary from being a maidservant.

Arthur was already dead tired, but Merlin seemed to be so pumped up with energy. He had not bought anything from this fair so far, but his hands were already full from different things that the princess bought for herself and some of her friends. She bought a pretty pair of earrings for Gwen, a small cauldron for Gaius, and some medicinal herbs for the Knights of the Round Table in case they become injured from their quests. Of course, Merlin also did not forget to buy Arthur a small crown charm to remind him of his position as the Once and Future King of Albion.

“Where did you get so much money?” he inquired, as Merlin pulled him to an unoccupied stall to rest for a bit.

“We’ve been here for almost four months already and I save for events like these,” she said, admiring the cheap ring she bought from a gypsy from an eastern kingdom with a name Arthur could not remember.

“Four months?” Arthur asked, eyes enlarging as he looked at the princess. “That long already?”

Merlin shrugged. “Apparently,” she replied. “And we still have not found a way to return home.”

She grew somber with her words, her adorned hand now falling limply back on her lap. “Do you think we’ll ever go back?” she asked, voice almost breathless as she watched the bustling town with forlorn eyes. “I… miss home.”

“Of course we’ll go back!” Arthur shifted so he could look directly at the princess. “Once we find the Original Arthur and Merlin, I am sure that the balance would return and we could finally go back home.”

Merlin frowned and turned to look at him. “But I will miss this place, too,” she revealed, ashamed with her confession. A sigh escaped from her lips, “Either way, it would be bittersweet.”

He took in her words and silently concurred. Despite having such a huge responsibility in this time, Arthur could not help but wonder how he could revert back to being a bodyguard after going through so much in this kingdom. It was hard being a king of such a wonderful kingdom, but ruling for him felt so _natural_. It was frightening for him to let go of this position.

“Hear ye, hear ye!”

Merlin straightened as she stared at the foreigner at the middle of the square. People were already gathering around him as he continued. “There was a time of dragons and sorcerers lurking about, of evil reigning the kingdom with fright.”

The princess stood up and beckoned her bodyguard. “Come on!” she exclaimed, as Arthur stood up with a sigh.

“Amidst the chaos, a princess stood out. Hair, the color of midnight black, with eyes quite grey that could freeze anyone’s heart.” An actress sauntered out from the crowd, clad in a dazzling dress that almost blinded Arthur. She had an icy beauty that the narrator was quoting, and the people were already mesmerized by her looks. “The future queen, the prophecies proclaimed, and, poor princess, she had no one to trust.”

“Outside the dreary castle stood a pauper so charming. Hair, the color of sunlight so bright, with warm, blue eyes that could soothe your pain away.” This time, an actor bound towards the narrator, a blinding smile on his face. The females in the crowd “ooh-ed” at how handsome he was, and Arthur had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as Merlin also giddily clapped at his introduction. “Poor, he may be, but, dear audience, do not fret! For his heart is gold, and it is treasure enough for him.”

“Now, opposites they may be, fate decided to bring them together. For they are two sides of the same coin, without both, one will cease to exist, and that is the greatest tragedy of all. Fear not, for fate has plans, so listen closely my dears.” The narrator slowly circled the now growing crowd. “This is the tale of the princess and the pauper, and how their love conquered all.”

“Tsk, come on Merlin,” Arthur exclaimed, grabbing Merlin’s arm to pull her away from the audience. The play already commenced and the princess was already watching attentively.

“Just a minute, Arthur,” she said. When he made another move to protest, the princess narrowed her eyes. “That is an order.”

The bodygarud glared but he had no choice but to concede. “As you wish, princess,” he murmured, now crossing his arms and watching the play. _‘This would be a long minute,’_ he thought.

* * *

The audience broke into applause as the play ended, with the princess and the pauper sealing their fates with a sweet kiss. Arthur grimaced as some were also brought into tears, clapping enthusiastically for the happily ever after that was achieved by the main characters.

King Arthur, for the life of him, could not understand the hype of the people. The acting was bad, the script was poorly written, and the narrator was _annoying_. Most scenes were cringe-worthy and he would gladly trade watching it with the modern movies his friends liked to watch with him. Besides, the whole premise made him a tad uncomfortable. _‘A princess and a pauper,’_ he grumbled inside. _‘Seriously?!”_

“What a waste of time,” he murmured under his breath, turning to look at the princess beside him. Much to his surprise, tear tracks were plastered on her cheeks and he guffawed. “Seriously?!”

Merlin glared at him through red, watery eyes. “Shut up,” she snarled, haphazardly wiping her tears away. “It was beautiful.”

Of course, he had forgotten, his princess was romantic at heart. He remembered how Modern Gwaine teased the princess about her Literature essay regarding Romeo and Juliet’s love story. “Come on,” he then said, still smirking in disbelief while Princess Merlin continued to glower. “Let’s get you something to calm you down.”

Merlin obliged, but after she fished out some copper coins from her money pouch.

Arthur brought her to a stall that sold exotic sweets and delicacies that made his mouth water. This age still did not have the luxury of inventing modern desserts that Arthur missed. “How much per piece?” he asked, smiling lightly as Merlin’s eyes lit up from glee.

“One gold each,” the vendor replied, thick with an accent of Eastern descent.

Merlin’s eyes enlarged with the price. “Gold?” she exclaimed. “But that’s expensive!”

“It is, my sweet,” he replied with a saccharine smile. “These are from the finest makers of a kingdom I am sure you are not familiar with.”

Arthur watched as the princess frowned and rummaged at her money pouch. Reddening, she whispered to the king, “Let’s go. I only have coppers left.”

She made a move to grab his arm and drag him away, but Arthur stopped him. “Wait,” he said. When Merlin questioningly looked at him, the king grabbed five gold coins from his pouch and gave it to the merchant. “Give me five of your best candies,” he said, much to Merlin’s surprise.

“Of course,” the foreigner said, grabbing some of the candies. He added a sixth one, together with a sly wink directed at Merlin. “An extra for the lass. You have pretty eyes.”

“Yes, she does,” Arthur said, now grabbing the blushing Merlin before the merchant could charm her away.

“Why’d you do that?” Merlin inquired. “They’re expensive!”

Her bodyguard shrugged and gave her a smile. “Eh, my pouch is heavy,” was his lame reply. Merlin rolled her eyes at him, but did not say another word.

They were merely walking now, with Merlin now broke.

“We should have gone this way first!” she whined, spying some cute bracelets that could go so well with Original Merlin’s neckerchief.

“You are a mean spender,” Arthur teased, laughing as she slapped his arm.

An object from a stall afar caught his attention and, with a quick glance at the princess, he knew he must buy it.

“Wait here for me,” he requested, as he directed her to a stone chair for her to sit. He then proceeded to give her her belongings before bounding away without any explanation.

* * *

_‘What’s taking him so long?’_ she wondered, happily munching on her candy. Merlin was not exactly sure how long Arthur had left her alone, but it felt like almost an hour. The sun was already descending from the horizon and some of the merchants were already clearing their stalls.

It was a long day, and Merlin could feel her feet aching. It felt refreshing shopping for new things and this made her terribly miss home. Call her superficial and spoiled, but the one perk that she absolutely loved about being the Crown Princess was that she could buy whatever she wanted. Merlin was not exactly an impulsive buyer but she only buys two important things – one, were the ones she absolutely needed, and the other were the ones she absolutely wanted. The only ridiculous thing she had ever bought in her life was a donkey when she was five, when she thought the princess rode donkeys instead of ponies. Ever since then, King Balinor had lectured her about the importance of money, and Princess Merlin knew she must be a wise spender for the future of her kingdom.

Today was quite an exception. She had impulsively bought perfumes and trinkets, nice scarves and plain dresses, all because she missed the luxury she had back home. Although it was cliché, Merlin did start to miss things she took for granted back then. Her comfortable bed, her non-itchy clothes, even her fluffy dog! And she had sworn ever since to appreciate whatever she had once she returned.

Merlin let her eyes wander and took a sharp intake of breath, marveling at the beauty of Camelot at sunset. She had only been here for almost four months – a short period as compared to her eighteen years in modern Albion. But, she found it funny that she already had this unwavering desire to protect this ancient kingdom like it was her own.

Her mind then went to Arthur, who she thought had changed the most between the two of them. Merlin could still remember silent Arthur when they first met. She remembered how his eyes always shone with unfathomable knowledge which Merlin had to discover on her own.

It felt weird that an unknown force pulled them back to Camelot to resume their original roles. Arthur was wonderful as a king and sure, he had some bad days, but by gods, Bodyguard Arthur made her feel like he should be the one ruling, not her. Kingship came naturally to him, and even if he doubted himself, Merlin definitely did not. It was absolutely fitting for him to be called as the Once and Future King after all.

“I apologize, princess,” Arthur suddenly exclaimed. Merlin turned to look at him, noticing how out of breath he was.

“Where have you been?” she inquired, feigning irritation. “I’m tired and my feet are killing me.”

To her surprise, Arthur had the audacity of rolling his eyes. “Well, it is your fault _Mer_ lin,” he reprimanded. “What with your bounding hither thither.”

Merlin held back a smile, not really having the heart to reprimand him when he was making her nostalgic. “True,” was her mere reply 

“By the way,” her bodyguard said. “I got you something.” He then presented her a handkerchief, with beautiful flowers adorning the cloth. “It is to repay you with the crown charm you gave me. And besides,” he pointed at Original Merlin’s red neckerchief, “flowers suit you more.”

The princess blushed at his comment. “Don’t let my original counterpart hear that,” she joked, prompting him to laugh. Merlin then proceeded to remove the red neckerchief from her hair and accepted King Arthur’s gift.

“Thank you,” she said, wearing the hanky on her hair. Arthur made a move to help her, leaning quite close to the surprised royal as he tied the ends to fit snugly on her hair. A blush rose from her cheeks as he leaned back, a handsome smile on his face.

“Flowers do suit you,” he once again said, marveling at his choice of pattern.

Merlin merely blinked, unable to reply anything.

“Come now, princess, the castle needs you back,” he said, complete with a teasing grin.

As Arthur escorted her back to the castle, Merlin had to hold her chest to prevent her excited heart from jumping out. She was thankful Arthur welcomed her silence. She knew she would make a fool out of herself if she started to talk.

He accompanied her until they arrived at the Court Physician’s bedchambers. Along the way, Merlin reprimanded herself for feeling strange things towards a certain Arthur Pendragon. She was afraid of acknowledging whatever she was feeling, because it would be too complicated to deal with. In the end, it was Arthur she started to curse, because he made her feel strange things in the first place.

Silently, Merlin swore to herself she would never fancy herself into thinking she was having feelings for a certain head bodyguard.

“Well, we’re here,” he said, cutting their silence. Arthur, _handsome_ Arthur, turned to the befuddled fool and gave her a smile. “Thank you for today, Princess Merlin. It is the much needed break I needed, even though you were a pain.”

She tried to roll her eyes just to appease him, but all she managed was a blink. “O-of course,” she said, clearing her throat afterwards.

“Goodnight, my lady,” Arthur said, holding her hand, much to her surprise. He then lifted it closer to his mouth as he bestowed the lightest kiss on her knuckles. Merlin swore her breath was knocked off of her chest and it was only when Arthur disappeared from the corner did she breathe properly again.

Clutching her chest with cheeks as red as the flowers on her new handkerchief, Merlin knew she could not deny anymore.


	17. Of Nightmares and Invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's dreams are becoming more frequent and Gaius is worried.

_“Merlin.”_

_Her eyes widened, searching frantically in a dark room._

_“Merlin.”_

_She knew that voice. It had haunted her for days. Princess Merlin groped in the dark, ears strained to follow the source of the voice._

_“Merlin.”_

_“What do you want from me?!” she cried, cursing the dark._

_“Merlin,” he continued._

_“Leave me alone!”_

_The room suddenly turned cold and Merlin dreaded the next scene. Everything was all too familiar. Icy rooms had plagued her dreams and she knew that the next thing she would see was the familiar imprisoned man._

_The crackling of ice was loud in her ears, but, much to her horror, everything around her turned into ice. It was cold, so cold, and she tried to find some shelter but she couldn’t move at all. Terrified, she frantically looked around, realizing that she was trapped inside the icy wall that appeared._

_Her blue eyes were wide with fear, but she could not scream for help. Her arms were immobilized, hindering her from pounding on the wall. Princess Merlin felt utterly helpless._

‘HELP!’ _was her silently plea._ ‘Anyone, please, help me!’

“Merlin. Merlin!”

She was jerked awake, the curious eyes of Gaius peering down at her. Merlin wildly looked around, noting that she was once again back in her bedchambers in Camelot. Promptly, she started to cry. Trapped inside the ice this time, she thought that was different, albeit scarier. Despite her silent plea, her throat was sore from probably trashing and screaming while sleeping.

She cried in relief, knowing she was safe, but she couldn’t shake off the cold she felt.

“Merlin,” Gaius asked, catching her arm. He frowned, noting with alarm how abnormally cold she was. “What happened? What did you dream about?”

But she merely shook her head and wiped her tears away. “I… I’ve seen stranger things, Gaius,” she shakily replied, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders to keep her warm.

He did not buy her explanation. He also kept to himself that her screams were different this time. Instead, the kind Court Physician offered, “Would you like some Sleeping Draught. I made some extra batches just in case…”

He left his sentence hanging, but Merlin knew what he wanted to say.

Just in case she was having nightmares again.

His gesture, although kind, made her more miserable. It also made her realize that her nightmares were becoming frequent and Merlin was afraid they were starting to become more ominous than the previous dream.

“No thank you,” she politely declined. “But I think a stroll would calm me down more.” Merlin did not have the heart to tell him that she did not want to sleep again… that the Sleeping Draughts were not working anymore. Her dreams were becoming more vivid and, dare she say it, more aggressive, and she feared they were starting to become urgent.

Gaius did not stop her as she stood up and wore her nightrobe. “Be safe,” was his farewell, as Merlin walked out of her bedchambers and started to wander.

Her head was still filled with her recent nightmare that she was not able to notice her feet led her to the abandoned garden she always frequented. What surprised her more was that it was not unoccupied. King Arthur was sitting on his usual spot, back leaning against the mossy, cold wall. His eyes were gazing faraway and Merlin wondered what he was seeing.

“Arthur?” she called.

Her bodyguard looked at her in surprise. “Merlin!” he replied, scrambling onto his feet. “What brings you here?”

She merely shrugged.

A sleepy smile appeared on his face. “Can’t sleep, eh?” he asked. 

Merlin solemnly shook her head. She shivered as a cold breeze grazed her cheeks. Or perhaps, it was because she remembered her nightmare.

The smile on Arthur’s face fell with her reply. “What happened?”

The princess sauntered closer and sat down beside the king. Arthur slumped back down on his bottom and worriedly looked at her. “I had a bad dream,” was all she offered to say. Merlin hid her face in her arms as silence fell between the two of them.

“Care to share?” he finally asked, worry not leaving his face.

She scooted closer to him, his mere presence already comforting her. Images of her dream danced before her mind’s eye and she shivered. She earnestly shook her head, wanting to spare Arthur from the horrors she had seen.

Thankfully, Arthur did not press her. “We should really find the Original Arthur and Merlin,” she finally said, much to his surprise. She sighed when he turned dubious and continued, “My dreams… nightmares…” She paused and took a sharp intake of breath. “I cannot shake off this feeling that they are somehow connected to their disappearance.”

“How can you say that?” he asked, frowning as more tears welled up from her eyes.

She shrugged. “Instincts?” she said, sniffing. “I’m not really sure. I just… _know_.”

She haphazardly wiped away her face and forced a smile. “It’s exhausting, you know,” she confessed. “I haven’t had a peaceful sleep ever since we came here.”

“Really?” he asked, shocked. His face contorted into deep worry, finally noticing the dark bags under her eyes. “It’s a little unfair for you because I’ve been having peaceful sleeps ever since we came here.”

To his surprise, she chuckled at his words. “You are suddenly given the responsibility of becoming the king of a great kingdom!” she retorted. “I think your peaceful sleeps are enough compensation for the every day responsibility you have to burden yourself with.”

He smiled, completely agreeing. The humor fell from her face once again as tiredness took over. She could see Arthur giving her furtive, worried looks, and all she could do was sigh. “It’s okay,” she finally said. “I’m used to these… _things_.” She reminisced about Original Merlin’s, and even the other Merlin’s, adventures and knew that they had been through far worse than what she was experiencing now.

“You’ve always been a powerful little thing, yeah?” he asked, a small smile on his face.

She forced a chuckle, slumping as his words hit her harder than what he intended. She wondered if she was the first Merlin to actually want to take a long break from her destiny and all that crap. “Eh, I have to get used to it,” she replied. “Especially if I have to get reincarnated in the future to save your sorry arse.”

Laughing at her comment, Arthur fondly patted her head. “Stay strong, Merlin,” he softly cheered. This made her smile a bit, touched by his encouragement.

Her bodyguard’s petting had stopped, but his hands stayed lingering on her head. Wide-eyed, Merlin looked up at him and bit her bottom lip, keeping her emotions at bay. The memories of the Camelotian fair, of how she almost, _almost_ surrendered to what she might be possibly feeling for her head bodyguard, came rushing back to her.

She was once again struck with the fact that she was lost in a strange, supposedly familiar, land. Everyday, she gradually understood that she was destined to be a powerful sorceress, more powerful than being a Crown Princess tasked to rule a great kingdom one day. All these realizations terrified her to bits and pieces, and she couldn’t imagine what she’d do if she were sent back into Ancient Camelot _alone._

As she looked at Arthur, it felt very comforting that it was him that was with her, because he _understood_. He remembered all his past reincarnations and most of all, he remembered Merlin. And he knew what she was going through.

A small, sad smile appeared on his face as he gently pulled her close until she could rest her forehead against his chest.

“Stay strong,” he murmured once more, his lips lightly brushing against her forehead.

Princess Merlin took a sharp intake of breath, an onslaught of emotions rampaging inside. She wound her arms tightly around Arthur’s torso as if he was her lifeline.

She then let her tears fall once more.

* * *

A soft knock resounded in his bedchambers. Gaius curiously looked at his door, surprised that someone would visit him at this time of the day.

“Come in,” he said.

The door creaked open and in came King Arthur. The Court Physician immediately scrambled up, but Arthur merely raised his hand to stop him.

“Really, Gaius,” the humored pretend-king said. “No need to act all respectful when it’s just you and me. I’m just Arthur.”

Gaius merely expelled a sound of understanding, but he still thought it was a laughable request when he was still the Once and Future King. But then of course, he knew that he was first and foremost the bodyguard of the slumbering Princess.

“If you don’t mind me asking, your highness, what are you doing here?” he inquired, perfectly arching an eyebrow in inquisition.

“Is Princess Merlin here?” Arthur asked.

With a nod, he replied, “She is, but she is already resting.”

As if on cue, the muffled screams from Merlin’s bedroom echoed from her room. Gaius worriedly looked at her chambers, suspecting that the Sleeping Draught he had brewed for her tonight was not effective anymore. He then proceeded to make a mental note to increase the dosage without hurting the lass.

“Are…” Arthur started, faltering. Gaius watched as the king also shot worried looks at her closed door. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Are the nightmares she speak of frequent?”

Grave, Gaius nodded his head. Arthur’s face contorted into more worry and seriousness as Gaius continued. “Forgive me, but I fear they are starting to become worrisome.”

Arthur hummed in reply, thoughtfully looking at her bedchambers. “May I… may I take a peek inside her room?” he inquired, surprising Gaius. When he raised an eyebrow, a small smile appeared on Arthur’s face. “Don’t worry, Gaius. I don’t plan to stay long.”

He contemplated his request for a minute. Propriety calls for him to abide to the rules, but the Arthur and Merlin in his room now were not exactly from this time period. He had this inkling that things were different in their own time. Besides, he trusted the king, or whatever position he really was in. “All right,” he finally said.

“Thank you, Gaius,” he said, now sauntering closer to Merlin’s bedchambers.

* * *

As Arthur came inside, he was struck with the fact that her room was _way_ different from his. Frowning, his head surveyed the messy room, with a poor excuse of a bed right at the middle. Stacks of books, magical he supposed, were at the bottom of her bed, and with Merlin’s dangerous trashing, he feared the books would be acquainted with the floor soon.

He thought of his silken sheets and clean room and wondered how Merlin could stay in such quarters. She was the Crown Princess, for heaven’s sake! The bodyguard never once heard her complain about her room, or her menial job, for that matter. And he thought that, perhaps, Merlin was happy as a commoner.

Soft whimpers from Merlin drew his attention back at her. Sauntering closer to the bed, he noticed that she was trembling, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She was still trashing about, and the books he worried about were now a tumbled mess on the floor.

“No… n…” she murmured. Arthur was brought to his knees, now peering worriedly at the princess.

“A-Arthur,” she softly cried, a tear now tumbling down from her closed eye. She was frightened of things he could not see and worried, the bodyguard daintily brushed that tear away. He placed his hand on her forehead for comfort, noting that it was as cold as ice. But then, to his relief, Merlin gradually relaxed under his touch and continued to sleep.

He lightly smiled as she leaned closer to his touch, her action already making his heart jump out of his chest. Looking at her now, it was funny how in a span of four months, Princess Merlin was already dear to his heart. And, dare he say it, he couldn’t deny the fact that she was doing strange things to his heart. He feared that these feelings could not be suppressed any longer, and hoped to the gods above that they could just go away because she was the future queen and he was merely her appointed head bodyguard.

 _‘Who am I kidding?’_ he thought. They had been given different tasks during their past reincarnations, but the funny thing was, he was still _Arthur_ and she was still _Merlin_. The duo that had shaken the whole world; the duo that had united and brought peace to the Five Kingdoms. And not once did he ever felt anything toward Merlin as remarkable as what he was feeling now for the slumbering princess now. All he felt for Merlin were platonic feelings of brotherhood and loyalty, and not once had they ever been lovers at all. It even surprised him immensely that Merlin was reincarnated as a _girl_ in this lifetime.

 _‘Perhaps,’_ he thought, _‘there is a reason behind this.’_

Sighing, Arthur knew he must retire back to his bedchambers before suspicious Gaius came barging in. Since Merlin seemed peaceful once more, he thought he could return to his room relieved.

“Good night, Merlin,” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, before leaving.

* * *

Merlin stared at her bustling friend, wide-eyed. She and Guinevere have kitchen duties today, and Merlin already called dibs on washing the dishes because she found out it was easy to do and she was good at it. Gwen, on the other hand, was busy arranging the ingredients bought from the market for tonight’s supper and Merlin could not help but notice that there was an excited bounce to her steps.

“Gwen?” Merlin asked, craning her neck to stare at her friend. “Is something wrong?”

The strangely exuberant maidservant giggled, cheeks blushing as she looked back at Merlin. “Well, Arthur’s name day is near, and since it is a momentous event, the Council agreed to hold a three-day banquet to celebrate the birth of our king.” She spoke those words in a nervous rush, Merlin had to strain her ear to understand what she had said.

As the words sank in, Merlin’s eyes widened in surprise. _‘Arthur’s birthday!’_ she cried, wordlessly berating herself for forgetting. Funnily enough, the Once and Future King and his future reincarnations had the same birthdays, as well as Original Merlin and his future reincarnations. And Merlin couldn’t help but mentally kick herself for forgetting when she had been celebrating it with Arthur for centuries!

“I just… I thought of helping prepare for it you know, because it’s Arthur,” Gwen continued, cheeks now a blazing red. “You will help too, yes?”

“Of course,” Merlin said, albeit a little distracted.

That night, as Merlin arrived in the abandoned garden once more, Arthur was already there waiting for her. She was about to inquire him of his rumored three-day banquet when her bodyguard suddenly stood up and gestured wildly at the garden.

“These flowers,” he exclaimed, eyes widening with disbelief. “Did you do this?”

The princess blinked and directed her eyes at the garden. A small smile appeared on her face as she could see little daisies and peonies scattered around. Merlin honestly thought Arthur was exaggerating, but then of course, the state of this garden on the first day they saw it was far worse than how it looked like now. “The garden would look prettier with flowers,” she nonchalantly said.

Her bodyguard rolled his eyes, although, a ghost of a smile was on his face. “You know,” he said, returning to his seat. “If you don’t want to be discovered as a sorceress, you have to be _discreet_.”

“Never mind that,” Merlin dismissed as she walked closer and sat down beside him. “I heard from a little bird that your birthday is near.”

Bodyguard Arthur instantly scowled, much to her surprise. “Where’d you hear that?” he demanded.

“Guinevere told me that you were to celebrate your birthday by having a three-day banquet,” she explained. “Is that true?”

Sighing, Arthur tiredly nodded. “Agravaine is such a pain,” he said. He raised an eyebrow, amused with himself. “Hey, that rhymes!” Merlin merely rolled her eyes. “Anyway, he was persistent in throwing such a huge birthday bash when I politely told him I’d rather celebrate in peace.”

Arthur fidgeted. “I have this inkling he’s planning something. I just don’t know what it is.”

“Thank the gods I’m a peasant in this time,” Merlin proclaimed, pitying Arthur. Parties were the bane of her existence. Imagine if it must go on for three days and you were supposed to be the center of attention. “Don’t worry, the legendary Once and Future King will live on.”

He made a face.

“Since you now know of this banquet of mine,” he continued, “I think it’s time for me to reveal the real reason why I asked for your presence here.” Merlin wasn’t sure, but she felt like Arthur became more tensed. Taking a deep breath, Arthur sought for the princess’ eyes, before saying, “Would you come to my birthday ball, princess?”

Princess Merlin grinned. “Oh, Arthur, I have no choice,” she replied. “Of course, I would come. I’m a _servant_ and Madame Brenda would have my head if I skipped my chores.” A thoughtful looked crossed her face as she continued, “Although, I’m not really sure I could come frequently. From what I heard, I’d be assigned more in the kitchens, unlike Gwen.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Seems like Madame Brenda still doesn’t trust klutzy, ol’ me.”

To her surprise, Arthur blushed and adamantly shook his head. “No, no,” he said. “I meant, would you come to my birthday ball as a _guest_?”

Her cheeks mirrored his as she stared at him, wide-eyed. “O-oh,” she started, shyly tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “That’s… that’s really sweet of you, Arthur, but I don’t think I would be allowed to.” She coughed behind her hand and sheepishly grinned. “Besides, I have nothing to wear to such an extravagant event.”

The smile he flashed her almost took her breath away. “Don’t worry,” he retorted. “I have everything planned out.” From his robe, he fished out an invitation, and gave it to Merlin. “Only those with these could enter my banquet.”

“Oh… okay,” was what she merely replied.

“All right,” he said, gradually standing up from his seat. “I’m afraid I must go now, princess. I still have some signing to do.” He felt conflicted for a while, debating over something.

Merlin completely understood what he was thinking and smiled. “Go on,” she said, making some shooing gestures. “I can completely take care of myself. People here don’t know I’d be a ruler someday so nobody would attack me or whatever.”

He contemplated her words but accepted it in the end. Bidding her goodbye, he turned around and walked away. The princess, with a dreamy smile on her face, stared at his retreating back, and positively excited for the following days to come.


	18. Enchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Arthur!

It was the first day of King Arthur’s banquet and Merlin now had utter respect for her maids back home. Although night already came, important guests were still abundant inside the Banquet Hall and the princess suspected that today was nowhere near ending.

Like what she had predicted, Madame Brenda assigned her solely to kitchen duties to protect the guests from her clumsiness. Princess Merlin was envious of Gwen, who was able to go into the party and back. She actually commented that the party was merry and Merlin _longed_ to look inside.

The Head Cook was worse than Madame Brenda, that much she knew. Merlin was thankful her rigorous practicing had paid off, because even though the Head Cook did not exactly agree her cooking was stellar, they were passable enough to be brought to the Banquet Hall. Jasmine, a new servant girl, was not having the same luck as her. Her constant burning of the food had given her an earful of reprimands, and Merlin felt sorry for the girl.

 _‘I was her on my first few days,’_ she mused, artfully garnishing a plateful of beef with potatoes. Blinking, the princess could not help but show off a bemused smile, disbelieving that she had actually improved in her chores. Though still being the end of Madame Brenda’s furious glares and reprimands, they were becoming lesser and lesser in frequency.

“Good job, Merlin,” she whispered to herself, feeling giddy as she looked at the plates she made.

“What are you stupidly smiling at those plates for, girl?” the Head Cook suddenly snarled from behind her, making her slightly jump. Merlin craned her neck and sheepishly apologized, immediately passing the plates to Gwen, who was stifling a giggle.

As Guinevere walked out of the door, Merlin heard distant laughter and music. She did not want to admit it, but she actually _missed_ partaking in a ball. Back home, the House of Emrys always held banquets as if they were routine and the severe lack of partying made Merlin miss home all the more. Of course, she did not miss the dancing with high-heels and her mother’s constant match-making with some dashing prince from a foreign country.

After hours of back-breaking cooking and preparing, Merlin was starting to get restless. From what she heard from a manservant, it was nearing midnight already and soon, guests would retire to their bedchambers. And Merlin… _Merlin needed to peek_.

As Gwen went back inside the kitchens, already swamped from walking to and fro the Banquet Hall, Merlin pulled her aside.

“Meredith, please, I have to get those to the guests,” her friend cried, furiously gesturing at the pitchers of wine.

“I wish to take a peek,” the princess pleaded, pouting slightly to give more effect. Gwen rolled her eyes and shook her head ‘no’, but Merlin gripped to her arm. “Please, Gwen, I’m _dying_ to see how the hall looks like.”

The pretty maidservant expelled a huge sigh. “Oh, all right,” she said. She darted furtive looks around the room, and thankful the Head Cook was nowhere to be found. “Just be quick. Or you’ll never live to see tomorrow.” 

Merlin laughed and quickly darted outside the kitchens without looking back. Brisk walking, her heart pounded in excitement. It was her chance to see how medieval parties looked and wondered if history books accurately described them.

The doors of the Banquet Hall were at sight, but before she could even open them, the Head Cook stepped outside, followed by a crying Jasmine.

“You stupid girl!” she cried, as Merlin hastily hid away from her sight. “How many times do I have to tell you, do not approach the guests when you are not being called?”

Merlin walked farther away from the Head Cook, fearing that she might get caught and be reprimanded instead. Disappointed with not being able to go inside, the princess thought of merely peeking through the windows. After all, she specifically told Gwen that she would only _peek_ and go back immediately. She had this inkling that if she walked into the room, going back to the kitchens would be difficult.

Thankfully, there were no people outside the castle grounds. It was also quite dark and Merlin could blend with the shadows if people stepped outside the castle.

Her eyes were instantly glued to the huge windows. Princess Merlin took a sharp intake of breath, amazed at the banquet inside. Lighted candles littered around, illuminating the room that gave an ethereal glow, as some of the guests swayed together with the music produced by a small orchestra. A huge buffet table was against the wall, scrumptious meals that were made by Merlin and the other servants. Her mouth watered just looking at the food, realizing that she still had not eaten since breakfast. The laughter of the guests was louder now, merry chattering blending nicely with the music.

Looking at the party made her nostalgic and wondered if parties were still conducted back home, even if she was still missing.

“What are you doing here?”

Merlin gasped, swiveling around, only to see a curious King Arthur peering down at her.

Sheepish, she replied, “I just got curious how medieval kings celebrated their medieval birthdays.”

She was thankful it was dark, for my oh my, how dashing her bodyguard looked. Arthur was adorned with the reddest clothes she had ever seen, celebrating his birthday and at the same time screaming Pendragon and royalty. His shiny crown sat atop his equally shiny hair and Merlin had to squint her eyes at the brightness he exuded.

“It’s a three-day event,” he then said, breaking her off from her gazing. “You’ll get to attend on the last day, don’t worry.”

“Hmm, about that,” the pretend maidservant said, suspiciously narrowing her eyes. “What are you planning?”

King Arthur grinned handsomely. “Ah ah, spoilers,” he said. “But you’ll find out soon enough.”

She released a huge, impatient sigh. “But I don’t like secrets,” she whined, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Well, that’s exactly why I don’t want to tell you,” he confessed, albeit a conniving smirk growing on his face.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, stepping closer. “You know what? Ever since we came here and you assumed the role as the king of Camelot, you suddenly became much more audacious against _me_. A _princess_. The one you are supposed to be serving!”

Her small tirade merely made him laugh, and Merlin had to bite her cheeks to prevent herself from smiling at how cute he looked.

“Arthur!”

Both turned towards the direction of the voice. Agravaine looked slightly mad, Merlin thought, and swore he was glaring at her.

“Please, sire, come back inside,” his uncle said. “Princess Mithian seeks for your presence.”

Merlin’s eyes widened, recognizing that name, and blanched. If she recalled correctly, Mithian was quite a beauty. And she  _almost_ became the Queen of Camelot. 

“And you,” Agravaine said, his voice icy as he stared daggers at Merlin. “What are you doing here? Go back to your duties, for heaven’s sake!”

“Please excuse me,” she murmured, slightly afraid. She curtsied towards the birthday boy and immediately scrambled away, leaving the uncle and nephew alone. Merlin shot a quick, withering glare at Agravaine, who still made her feel uncomfortable.

As soon as she was gone, Agravaine turned to Arthur. “Can you believe the audacity of that girl?” he sputtered, cheeks already red due to irritation.

King Arthur frowned at his accusation. “She did not do anything wrong,” he reasoned.

He could see that his uncle was surprised that he was defending a mere _maidservant_. “Of course,” he said, turning around to walk back inside. Arthur had no choice but to follow him back, wondering what Merlin would be doing now that she was back to her kitchen duties.

Before Agravaine could open the doors, he stiffly turned at Arthur. “Remember who you are,” he said, turning around, and opening the doors. The smell of wine and food hit his senses as Arthur frowned once more, crossing the threshold to go into the party that was thrown in honor of him.

Of course he remembers who he was.

He was Bodyguard Arthur.

* * *

The second day of Arthur’s birthday banquet was uneventful, although equally tiring. The Head Cook was keen in breaking her bones by giving her mountains of chores, most of which were mundane, but Merlin did not really have the heart to complain. Her body was doing all the complaining and she was too exhausted to fight the Head Cook.

She did not see Arthur that day, nor was she able to take a peek inside the banquet hall once more. Merlin did not really mind. After this extremely tiring day, she looked forward to sleep in the comforts of her room than inject herself in a roomful of royals.

As she was getting ready for bed that night, a soft knock resounded in her small bedchambers. Groaning, she cocooned herself inside her itchy blanket and exclaimed, “I’m asleep!”

Her door was pushed open and footsteps shuffled inside. “I see that you are otherwise,” Gaius said, amusement in the tone of his voice. “Apologies, dear lass. I can see how this day had tired you so, but I believe you have a gift.”

Upon the mention of a gift, Merlin slowly sat up her bed, confused. “A gift?” she echoed, eyeing the dainty red box on Gaius’ hands. “For me?”

The Court Physician showed her a small card with her name scribbled on it. “Well, gods forbid me if I found out I am Meredith,” the old man joked, prompting her to playfully glare. He chuckled and placed the parcel at the foot of her bed. “It was brought by Leon under the orders of the king.”

“Arthur?” she said, now curious. Her fingers ran across the smooth box.

“He said you’d know what to do with it,” Gaius said. Merlin watched as he arched a perfect eyebrow at the same time as a huge smile appeared on her face.

“Oh,” she said. “Thank you, Gaius. And good night!”

Gaius nodded his head. “Good night, Merlin,” he said. “And don’t stay up too late. You still have some chores to do tomorrow.”

She softly groaned. “Yes, Gaius,” she said, frowning as the Court Physician stepped outside of her room and closed the door.

As soon as he was outside her room, Merlin tore the gift open and was beheld with the most exquisite dress she had ever seen. It was a violet robe made of velvets, with golden linings at the hem of the dress. The neckline was deep enough to be conservative and at the same time coy, prompting her to raise an eyebrow, wondering what Arthur was thinking.

Together with the dress was a pair of golden shoes and, to her surprise, a simple, golden mask. A note was attached, with the same scribbled penmanship, saying, ‘ _It wouldn’t do us some good if you were recognized tomorrow night_ ’.

She racked her brain if there were any announcement that tomorrow would be a masquerade, but Merlin could not remember such a thing. _‘But I’ll draw attention to myself!’_ she thought, frowning at the mask as if it offended her. But then, Arthur was right. If people noticed that she was one of the guests, dressed like a princess, suspicions would arise. Arthur would also be in trouble if they found out it was him who invited her in the first place.

Sighing, she placed the dress, the shoes and the mask back on the box and hid it under her bed. Tomorrow would be a long day, she was sure, but for now, she needed to rest.

* * *

Madame Brenda dismissed her before dinner commenced.

 _“I was… given some orders,”_ she had told her, and Merlin had to keep herself from laughing. Her boss seemed to be reluctant to let her go. After all, who could she terrorize now that she was on a break? Nevertheless, she was excused for the whole night so that she could get ready for the ball.

She had been preparing for an hour already, before she finally emerged from her room. The dress that Arthur had given her had fit her perfectly, and she wondered how Arthur got her measurements. She had also decided to put some light make-up using her magic. Her curly hair was kept down this time, after being held high up her head during chores. Finally, she wore the mask to hide her identity from the other guests.

Gaius was brought to his feet when she walked out, making her smile.

“Well…” she said, gesturing at her attire. “This was my gift and err… umm, I was invited today.”

The Court Physician made a thoughtful sound and eyed her knowingly. Merlin blushed and did not meet his eyes, not really wanting to deal with his curiosity right now when she herself could not exactly figure out her feelings for her bodyguard.

“You do look beautiful tonight, my dear girl,” Gaius suddenly said, making her snap her eyes back at him. His smile was warm and Merlin almost got teary-eyed. She swung her arms around him, much to his surprise, and chuckled.

“Thank you, Gaius,” she said. “I’ll be back by midnight, I promise.”

He lightly patted her back. “Go have fun,” he replied. “You deserve it.”

Merlin pulled away and offered him the prettiest smile she could muster. “See you later, Gaius!” she said, waving her hand goodbye, before stepping out of his room.

* * *

“Her?” Sir Leon jutted his chin towards a certain Duchess Margaret, with glorious blond hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. As if on cue, the duchess turned towards the King and the Knights of the Round Table, and dazzled them with her smile.

Gwaine released a soft whistle under his breath. “Blast,” he cursed, “what I would do just to be in your position right now, Arthur.”

The king rolled his eyes. “I am glad you are enjoying this more than I do,” he grumbled, placing his elbow on the handle of his throne to rest his chin atop it.

“So, it’s a no then?” Elyan quipped, eyes still trained on the duchess. “Well, if that’s the case… I’ll see you later, good Sirs.” The knight bowed and bounded towards Duchess Margaret, earning him some cajoling from his other friends.

“Come now, Arthur,” Leon said, “liven up! It is your birthday, after all.”

King Arthur sighed and slouched down on his throne. “I would, but my uncle wouldn’t leave me alone,” he said, directing his eyes towards Agravaine, who was busy conversing with King Olaf and some other royals he did not recognize. “I have this inkling he’s _on_ to something, you know.”

“Whatever,” Sir Gwaine said, now stepping away from the group. “I cannot pass up this opportunity to find some damsels in distress.” He cheekily grinned as a particular princess caught his attention. “Congratulations on starting another year of your life, sire.” With that, he bounded off to who knows where.

“You should be enjoying, too,” Arthur said, craning his neck to look at Leon and Percival. “Treat this day as one of your day-offs.”

The two remaining knights exchanged glances before bowing down and bidding their goodbye.

 _‘Finally, some peace,’_ he thought, eyes sweeping around the Banquet Hall. Though they were good company, the boys were giving him some headache now about their cajoling and persuasions. It would do him some good to be alone for a while.

To his utmost relief, it was the last day of his _blasted_ birthday banquet and Arthur was already praying to the gods above to end this day already. He had been seeing the same familiar faces that he even suspected were insincere to celebrate his day of birth. If only they could just hurry up and vacate this castle, he would very much appreciate it.

Some of the royals were actually good company. Stories about invasions and mundane events in their own kingdoms kept him busy for a while, but Arthur was slowly getting tired of them. He was especially annoyed with all the duchesses and princesses and queens thrown his way by his uncle, no less, strengthening his suspicion that Agravaine really have some ulterior motive behind throwing a three-day banquet for his birthday.

Sighing, Arthur’s eyes scoured the hall once more. He specifically ordered Madame Brenda to let Merlin leave early so she could doll herself up and attend this ball. Her company would be much more appreciated than the others here who he did not really personally know. _‘She’s late again,’_ he thought, wondering if Madame Brenda did not follow his order or the princess was just really running late.

“I might as well eat,” he said, standing up from his seat. His manservant immediately scrambled towards him, but Arthur raised his hand to stop him. “No, it is all right, George. I can manage.”

George looked crestfallen he was not being ordered to do something.

Arthur internally groaned and stopped himself him from rolling his eyes. “All right just… just _tidy up_ my throne,” he lamely said, gesturing at his seat. “Once I come back, it must be squeaky clean.”

His manservant gleamed at his request and immediately bustled toward his throne.

The king hastily walked towards the buffet table, in case George was done already and waiting to be ordered once more. But then, before he could even reach the table, a round of murmurings spread all throughout the Banquet Hall. Arthur looked for the source of their whisperings, and finally spotted the familiar golden mask he provided.

The king inhaled deeply, marveling at how the princess looked right now. He mentally applauded the royal seamstress for producing such an exquisite dress. He knew Merlin would look stunning on them, and years of being the appointed man to deliver her royal dresses back home as part of his training made him memorize her body measurements already.

She looked like the usual Merlin back in England – regal and beautiful. The princesses and duchess and queens all paled in comparison to her beauty and power. If only they knew she would be the queen destined to rule all the kingdoms in the future.

Despite her golden mask, Arthur could see she was nervous and embarrassed. People were already talking among themselves, wondering who this beautiful stranger was, and Bodyguard Arthur knew he should swoop down now before people started questioning her.

He walked towards her and the people parted like the Red Sea. Merlin’s eyes connected with his and she instantly sagged with relief. Her bodyguard shot her a small smirk, prompting her to glare. Arthur softly chuckled as he finally reached her and by the gods above, she looked much more beautiful now that she was standing right in front of him.

“Would you care for a dance?” he asked, offering his hand.

Merlin suspiciously looked at his outstretched hand, before accepting his offer and holding his hand. Arthur immediately pulled her at the center of the dance floor, and people were soon going back to their prior conversations and activities, the mystery masked maiden still at the back of their heads.

“ _Thank you_ ,” the king said, expelling a humongous relieved sigh. “I’m being pestered by these hungry females before you came.”

The Crown Princess prettily smiled and looked around. “They’re looking at me,” she whispered squeakily, unconsciously pulling herself closer to her bodyguard.

“Of course they are,” he said, looking at where her eyes were directed. Arthur smirked upon seeing the questioning looks of Gwaine and Elyan. “They are all wondering who could possibly be the mysterious masked damsel dancing with the king.” He paused, twirling her first, before continuing, “And besides, you look absolutely beautiful tonight, your highness.”

She prettily blushed under her mask.

“The dress suits you, I see,” he added.

“Yes, apparently so,” she said, looking at her dress. “Thank you.”

He dismissively nodded his head, praying to whoever could hear him that Merlin would not notice how fast his heart was beating right now.

As he surveyed the crowd, he could see the questioning look by Agravaine toward him and his current dance partner. His uncle excused himself and seemed to be going toward them. “Uh oh, Agravaine’s about to come,” he whispered, looking down at the princess. “Would you like to get out of here?”

Princess Merlin merely nodded her head and soon, Arthur was pulling her out of the Banquet Hall. They found themselves on the same spot Arthur found Merlin on the first day of his birthday banquet. They could still hear the music being played from inside and Arthur pulled Merlin to another dance.

Resting her head lightly against his shoulder, Merlin inquired, “Why did you invite me to your party?”

Arthur knitted his eyebrows, actually not having any decent reply to her question. He wondered what could possibly drive him to invite her so impulsively, knowing that if her identity was revealed, Agravaine would have both his and her head. Well, Merlin would more likely be the receiving end of harsher punishments when all she ever did was accept his invitation.

“Hmm,” he thoughtfully said, merely shrugging his shoulders to answer her question.

Merlin lightly pulled away from him and gave him a suspicious glance, and he smiled. “You look beautiful tonight, Merlin,” he whispered, as sincerely as he could.

The princess prettily blushed. “You said that already,” she reminded him.

“Did I?” he asked, pulling her closer to his chest. She was so soft to his touch and Arthur would trade everything, even his throne damn it, if it meant he could hold her like this for the rest of his life.

His newfound feelings for the princess seemed dizzying, but he knew he could not suppress them any longer. He was thankful for the first time to whatever force that brought him here. He actually grew closer to her since they were the only ones who truly knew each other. And well, perhaps being here made him feel fondly over the princess he was to protect. Back home, he would have hesitated because she was the Crown Princess, and he was merely her Head Bodyguard. But in here… she was just Merlin, and he was just Arthur.

After awhile, she pulled away and smiled. “Sorry, but Cinderella’s time is up,” she said. “I promised Gaius I would be back by midnight. He would still be up by now, poor old man.”

But, his hold on her tightened, much to her surprise. “Just a little bit more,” he whispered.

A lovely blush painted her cheeks, and Merlin slowly looked up to connect her eyes with his. _‘Oh bloody hell,’_ he thought. _‘How could she be this beautiful?’_

Slowly, he raised his hand to remove her golden mask. Arthur swallowed, her lovely face now exposed, and he found himself instantly hypnotized by her stare. Without thinking clearly, he bent down to bestow a soft kiss on her lips. But then, before their lips could even touch, Agravaine’s unmistakable voice boomed outside, startling the two.

A red Merlin quickly stepped away, whilst Arthur released a disappointed sigh. Equally red, he shyly looked at the princess, who was pointedly not meeting his stare. “I… I’m sorry, your highness. I was out of line,” he said, swallowing thickly once more.

“I should… I should get back,” she said, nervously tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Briefly, she caught his eyes, “You should go back too. Your uncle is looking for you.” She paused, unsure of what to say next, before continuing, “Good night, Arthur.”

The king merely tilted his head, still disappointed for their disrupted kiss. He turned his back, holding his face as he listened to her footsteps. _‘Stupid Agravaine,’_ he thought. _‘Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid Arthur, too.’_

“Arthur!” Merlin suddenly furiously whispered.

He turned around, surprised, and was met with a flurry of gold and curly dark hair, and before he could even register what was happening, Merlin was kissing him, and he was kissing her back. His arms instantly wound around her waist, her hands already lost in his golden hair.

As Agravaine’s voice grew frustrated and closer, Arthur and Merlin, still lip-locked, hid deeper into the shadows, unwilling to let go.


	19. Rivaling History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lost in the height of their feelings, Merlin and Arthur had quite forgotten about one, specific maidservant... 
> 
> Featuring Loyal Leon and his uncanny perceptiveness.

The following day, Merlin was in a constant haze.

She was currently inside the now vacant Banquet Hall, with remnants of last night’s party still scattered about. The guests had already left to their respective kingdoms, and the servants of the castle in Camelot were left to clean up the mess they left behind.

Princess Merlin was now dusting off some of the pillars in the room, still lost in her thoughts.

Last night was… _surreal_. Every time Merlin blinked, she could see Arthur’s shadowed face, eyes bright with emotions she could not understand, so _utterly_ handsome as he closed the space between the two of them for a kiss…

Furiously blushing, she equally furiously dusted the walls, unsure whether she could control her haywire emotions inside. She had been grinning like a stupid fool ever since she returned to her bedchambers last night. Gaius, who did truly wait for her return, had his eyebrows high up on his forehead upon the entry of a giddy Merlin. Thankfully, he did not question her about tonight and bid her good night, because she had no idea how she could answer him.

Despite being ordered frantically by Madame Brenda, nobody could trample her good mood. Camelot be damned, but by golly, last night was the best night ever.

Last night’s kiss was just the thing she needed to confirm her budding feelings for her Head Bodyguard. She had never really liked anyone in her whole life, save for her childhood friend, Prince Will, but he had migrated to America and they lost in touch.

Arthur was reluctant to go ever since their little kiss, but Agravaine was aggravated and Merlin had to push him away just to show his face to his uncle. Ever since then, she had not caught sight of Arthur and she wondered what he was doing right now.

 _‘Oh, mother will have my head,’_ she mused, grinning brightly, but she did not really care.

Today, she was happy.

“Where were you last night?” Gwen suddenly asked, sidling beside her to dust off some of the pillars, too.

Merlin grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, somewhere,” she ominously said, prompting her friend to frown in suspicion.

“And… what has gotten into you, Meredith?” she asked, gesturing at her whole body. “You seem awfully, how do I call this, _giddy_?”

The princess giggled, spread her arms, and twirled, oblivious to the little dust rain she was making. “Oh, Gwen,” she gushed, “I just had the best night ever!”

Her friend looked at her amusedly and nodded her head. “I figured,” she said. “Madame Brenda was extra grumpy her favorite maidservant was absent last night.”

Merlin laughed, imagining the strict, old hag.

“By the way,” Gwen said, lowering her voice. “I heard this little gossip from the other maidservants.”

“What is it?” she asked, raising her eyebrow as Gwen started to frown.

“Hmm, well, there was a mysterious masked lady last night who danced with the king until the night ended,” she continued. Merlin stiffened a little upon the mention of her disguise, and nervously smiled.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “Oh yeah? Did anyone recognize her?”

The future Queen of Camelot shook her head fervently. “Nobody,” she continued. “Elyan thought it was weird, because Arthur seemed like he _knew_ the girl.” Her frown deepened, as if bothered by this information. “I wish I were there last night so I could have seen this girl everybody was talking about.”

“Right. M-me too,” she quickly added, nervously smiling when Gwen sighed.

“I wish I could have danced with Arthur on his name day,” her friend forlornly added, absentmindedly dusting off the pillars.

Merlin blinked, blanching at the tone of Gwen’s voice. How could she forget? She was talking to the _future_ Queen of Camelot, the rightful love of King Arthur Pendragon. It would have made perfect sense if it was _Gwen_ that Arthur invited to become the mysterious masked maiden last night.

“I better go now, Meredith,” the brunette said, smiling sadly at Merlin. “I still have some kitchen duties.”

As the princess watched her friend walk away, Merlin suddenly felt terrible. Last night’s euphoria had finally extinguished, all because she felt bad that it was her that was invited to Arthur’s party, and not Guinevere.

She knew how much her friend loved Arthur. She could remember how frustrated Original Merlin was, watching his two closest friends constantly denying their feelings for each other because society dictated that they could never be together.

Of course, Gwen’s Arthur was different from _her_ Arthur. But, Gwen did not exactly know that, and Merlin feared how her friend would react if she discovered that the princess was sporting some feelings for the not-exactly-the-same Arthur Pendragon.

* * *

Arthur was in the castle armory, but he honestly felt like he was in court, what with all the prying eyes he was receiving.

They had just wrapped up their training for the day. Since he celebrated his birthday by throwing a three-day banquet, his knights were severely lagging from their trainings. He didn’t want the Original Arthur showing up and accusing him of being lax for not constantly training the supposed best swordsmen in the Five Kingdoms.

But now, with the Knights of the Round Table constantly stealing curious glances towards the king, Arthur had had enough.

“All right, you lot, what is it?” he snarled, glaring at his sheepish knights.

Unsurprisingly, it was Gwaine who first came forward and sat down. Swinging an arm around Arthur, the king expelled a sigh. Trust Gwaine to be the most audacious out of the others. “So, last night,” his knight started, a sneaking smile appearing on his face. “Care to share?”

He raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. “What about it?” he asked, although perfectly knowing what they were so curious about.

“Come on, Arthur,” Gwaine urged. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s ‘sire’ to you, Sir Gwaine,” Arthur merely replied.

The other knights laughed amongst themselves. Apparently, it was rare for Arthur to become so obsessed with titles when he was alone with his knights. Usually, he would request for them to drop their titles whenever no one was around.

“But the mysterious masked maiden, or whatever the servants were calling her,” Percival added. “Did you ever find out who she was?”

 _‘Oh, I don’t have to because I’ve known from the start!’_ he mentally exclaimed. Outside, he coolly looked at his knight and friend, and replied, “Unfortunately, lads, I was not able to at least see her face.”

“That’s too bad,” Elyan said, shaking his head. “With that dress of hers, I predict she would have been a great beauty.”

 _‘She is, guys. She is,’_ he thought once more, a brief smile flashing on his lips as he remembered Merlin’s shining eyes and red lips and intoxicating smell… A sigh escaped from his lips, thinking about last night and how soft her lips were.

“Did something happen last night, sire?” Leon asked, pointedly looking at the expression on his king’s face. “You just disappeared from the Banquet Hall without telling your knights where you ran off to.”

Not really having the heart to answer them, Arthur merely shrugged and gave them a mysterious smile.  

“I take it you have no plans of answering us,” Elyan said, rolling his eyes as Percival chuckled and Gwaine playfully bumped his shoulders against Arthur. “Well, Sirs, I believe we must depart now for our King needs to dream about our mysterious masked maiden.”

“I do not dream,” King Arthur firmly said, but his knights merely laughed. Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine all bid him good bye. Surprisingly, Leon stayed behind. 

"Is there something you need, Leon?" the king asked, raising an eyebrow. Inside, he somehow felt uncomfortable with Leon's gaze. 

Sir Leon was silent for ages, apparently debating whether to speak or not. The former won, and he started, "The gift that you ordered me to send to Meredith..." His voice faltered, his look holding meaning, and Arthur tried his very best not to react. Apparently, he failed, for Leon's eyes widened in understanding. Arthur groaned internally, forgetting that this faithful knight of his was also one of the most perceptive persons he had ever met. 

"But... Gwen..." 

All the color from his face drained, finally realizing what Leon was trying to say. It might probably be surprising, suspicious even, for the King of Camelot to suddenly stop pining for the late blacksmith's daughter for a girl that had mysteriously arrived here in this kingdom and had, seemingly, stole Arthur's heart. 

Leon might have realized his audacity, for he took a few steps back and hung his head. "Forgive my intrusion, sire," he said, laced with guilty. Arthur distractedly made a sound at the back of his throat. 

The knight awkwardly looked at Arthur and hastily murmured a good bye, and finally leaving the armory. 

Now that he was alone, Arthur could not help but ponder over this sudden predicament. He sure knew he was developing feelings for the princess, but at the same time, he knew problems would arise if he defied his supposed destiny, which included marrying Gwen and making her Queen of Camelot. 

 _'You're Bodyguard Arthur,'_ a voice whispered inside his head, and his guilt ebbed away a little. 

"You're Bodyguard Arthur," he said, this time voicing it out loud, conviction on his face. 

* * *

Merlin frowned and glared, crossing her arms against her chest. “What?” she inquired, slightly irate.

King Arthur raised an eyebrow in amusement, leisurely leaning back against the mossy, stone wall. “For a girl who pounced on me last night, you sure look… _calm_ ,” he pointed out.

Her cheeks turned red, but the princess merely sighed. She looked away from him, her frown deepening, as she became more bothered about her realization a while ago with regards to Guinevere. She couldn’t lose her now as a friend, especially because in this strange world, trusting anyone was a difficult feat.

“Umm, is something the matter?” Arthur hesitantly asked.

Princess Merlin sighed once again, and this time turned her eyes at her bodyguard once more. “It’s just…” She gestured wildly between the two of them, much to Arthur’s amusement. “This _thing_ , between the two of us. It’s… it’s _strange_.” Arthur emitted a sound of agreement, but Merlin vigorously shook her head. “ _No,_ no, you don’t get me.”

She stood up from her seat and started to pace to and fro. “Guinevere is in love with you, all right,” she blubbered, clasping her hands behind her back as she continued to pace. “Or with your original counterpart, whatever. But don’t you get it?” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “From my perspective, I think I am _rivaling_ the supposed Future Queen of Camelot, and that is a very, very bad thing.”

Merlin halted in her steps and looked at Arthur in his eyes. “Of course the Original Arthur is missing, but it wouldn’t do us some good if we created a misunderstanding with Gwen that would ruin what is supposed to happen in history.”

“We’re brought back in time, Merlin,” he replied, exasperated. “The mere fact that two Arthurs and two Merlins are existing in the same time period, even though we have no idea where our original counterparts are, might already be doing something to our future.”

She bit her bottom lip, thinking that Arthur made perfect sense. “Unless of course we find our Originals and we return to our own world,” she rebutted matter-of-factly. "But now we have roles to assume -"

Her bodyguard groaned and stood up from his seat, now firmly grasping Merlin’s shoulders. “Why do you always forget that I am _not_ King Arthur but _Bodyguard_ Arthur?” he asked in exasperation.

His words made her sigh, her shoulders now sagging. “Right, I’m sorry,” she said, running a hand across her face in exhaustion. “It’s just… I like Gwen; she’s my friend. I don’t want to hurt her just because we have to pretend to be people we’re not.”

Arthur nodded his head and offered her a smile. “I understand,” he said.

Merlin’s eyes met his mesmerizing blue ones, and this time, the memory of last time came crashing back to her like a huge tsunami. Her cheeks gradually grew hot under his gaze and he grinned, prompting her to playfully hit his shoulder.

“Let me remind you, Arthur Pendragon, that I am the royal between the two of us and you have no right to toy with the future Queen of England,” she cried, lifting her chin in defiance. Her bodyguard merely laughed and raised both his hands, walking a few steps back.

“Of course, Princess,” he said, bowing in respect for effect.

A small smile appeared on her face, and Merlin was amazed how everything between her and Arthur were still the same despite the events last night.

“Are we… going to talk about what happened last night now?” he asked, hopeful.

Cheeks red once more, Merlin glared. “What’s there to talk about?” she asked, now defensively crossing her arms across her chest.

He opened his mouth, about to say something, but then paused. “Hmm, good point,” he said, followed by a sigh. “It has been a long day anyway.” Arthur then reached out for her hand, bent down, and brushed his lips against her knuckles. “Does the lady wish to retire to her bedchambers now?”

* * *

“I meant escorting you to your bedchambers, you know,” Arthur said, amused with the proposition Merlin made a few minutes ago. They were now walking back to his own room, since the princess still wanted to take a stroll before retiring to her bed. He inquired her why she wanted to walk more even after an exhausting day, but then stopped himself.

 _‘Of course,’_ he told himself.

Her nightmares still came and walking helped her.

“Shhh,” she then said, giving him a quick grin.

“It seems weird that a damsel escorts a king back to his bedchambers,” he would point out, but Merlin merely giggled.

“We live in modern times, Arthur,” she explained, humor in her voice. “Damsels can be chivalrous too and knights need saving.”

He chuckled, remembering all their little adventures back in the university when different magical creatures would randomly attack him and Merlin was there to save his sorry arse. “Can’t argue with that,” he concurred, prompting her to chuckle.

They finally arrived in front of his bedchambers, and the princess started to fidget. “Well, we’re here,” she said, giving him a shy smile. “Good night, Arthur.”

She was about to turn around and walk away, but a confused Arthur latched onto her wrist, twirled her around, and bestowed a good night kiss on her lips. It was rather bold of him, but he wondered if he was permitted after the intense kiss they shared last night.

The princess pulled away, cheeks blazing red, but Arthur grinned when she merely glared. “That was a more fitting good night now, yes?” he cheekily said. Merlin merely harrumphed, making his grin widen. “Good night, my princess.”

The blatant addition of the pronoun stunned her, but Merlin mustered to flash the prettiest smile she could. “Good night, Arthur.”

He watched her until she disappeared around the corner, before Arthur strode inside his bedchambers, feeling like a fool.  


	20. Perhaps You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agravaine finally revealed his motive for throwing Arthur's birthday bash. Things have escalated quite quickly from then on. 
> 
> Featuring sensible Gaius, exasperated Arthur, an unexpected proposition, and a very, very shaken Merlin.

“A fire broke out and damaged at least five houses in the village, sire,” Sir Aldrich stiffly reported, his chin held high, demanding respect from the other council members. Arthur had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he continued, “The victims are begging the king to provide them some sack of potatoes for food until they could get by.”

Arthur tapped his finger on his throne and straightened up, deep in thought.

Sir Blythe, the council treasurer, raised his hand to get his attention.

“Yes, good Sir,” Arthur said, inclining his head to let him talk.

“If I may, sire,” he started, a serene smile on his face, “but the castle is already suffering from the shortage of potatoes. Harvest last month was poor due to the infestation of pests, and providing more potatoes to these families would be a bad decision.”

The king frowned. “I believe we have other sources of food that could last this whole castle for five more years, yes?” he said, eyes directly staring at the treasurer. “Give them the sack of potatoes that they need, and provide some extra clothes too. I am quite sure that is not the only thing they lost.”

“But, sire” –

Arthur’s raised hand stopped Blythe from continuing. He then directed his eyes at Sir Aldrich, “Make sure they have houses to live in. I will see to it that they will have their houses back before this week ends.”

He felt smug as Sir Blythe harrumphed and crossed his arms. He had always disliked the court treasurer. The only thing that made him stay was that he was really quite good with money matters. Under his supervision, the economy of Camelot had been flourishing.

“Sir Leon,” Arthur said, addressing the Head Knight. “What of the invasions in King Olaf’s kingdom?”

“They have been subdued, your highness,” the knight said. “The bandits are quite aggressive as what King Olaf had suggested and some battles broke out. Fortunately, there were only some injured from the knights you provided. The remaining bandits are now currently imprisoned in King Olaf’s castle.”

King Arthur clasped his hand and nodded his head. “That is good to hear,” he commended, prompting Leon to smile. “Thank you for your hard work, Leon.”

“It is my honor, sire,” the good knight replied with a bow.

Arthur then looked at Gaius. “I heard that cholera is still currently rampant in the village, Gaius,” he said. “What must be done?”

“Sire,” the Court Physician said, somber, “it pains me to say this, but I am afraid it is difficult for me to control the cholera alone. I need some help, if you could so kindly provide them.”

“What kind of help, Gaius?”

Gaius looked thoughtful for a while, before looking back at Arthur. “Just a few servants who could help me gather some ingredients. They could be difficult to gather and I would need to brew the cure as soon as possible.” He pursed his lips and paused. “With the absence of my ward…” He trailed off, but Arthur perfectly understood what he wanted to say.

“I will ask Madame Brenda to suggest some servants who could help with your predicament, Gaius, you need not worry,” Arthur assured, prompting the old man to smile.

“Thank you, sire,” he said, grateful.

King Arthur looked around, satisfied that no pressing matters were presented during their council meeting. He always dreaded going to these meetings, fearing that there would be some invasion or tragedies he would deem as too difficult to handle. His original counterpart had been doing great before he disappeared. Arthur did not want to completely ruin the hard work he had been doing.

“All right, you are now dismissed,” he said, about to stand up from his throne, but Agravaine stopped him.

“Wait, Arthur, we still want to discuss something with you,” his uncle said.

Arthur curiously looked at his uncle before turning his gaze toward Leon. His Head Knight merely shrugged, having no idea what Agravaine was talking about. Gaius, though, was steadily not meeting his questioning gaze.

“What is it, uncle?” Arthur then said, looking back at Agravaine.

His Right Hand cleared his throat, before continuing, “I believe you have appreciated the banquet that was thrown in honor of your name day, Arthur.”

The king narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “Of course,” he lightly commented.

“Some royals were, of course, invited, and we are wondering if there was someone that caught your eye,” his uncle continued.

Arthur crossed his arms and frowned. “I don’t quite understand, Agravaine,” he replied.

“What he meant to say, sire,” Sir Blythe butted in, “Is if you found someone from the banquet worthy enough to be your wife and rule alongside you.”

Cheeks coloring in slight fury, he glared once more at his Agravaine. “I knew you were scheming something behind my back when you prepared a three-day celebration for my birthday,” he snarled, annoyed. _Of course_ , he should have figured. With Agravaine constantly throwing pretty ladies along his way during his party, he should have known that he was playing matchmaker for the king.

“My apologies, your highness, but you should not take this the wrong way,” his uncle explained, adamant. “The kingdom has not seen a queen ever since your mother died.” Arthur’s frown deepened, but Agravaine continued. “You have been ruling over Camelot for almost two years now. Don’t you think it’s time to find yourself some wife?”

Arthur scowled and looked away. “My father was able to rule without a queen, Agravaine,” he reminded.

“Why yes, of course, but the problem with you, sire, is that you still have not fathered an heir.” This time, it was Gaius who spoke up. Blanching in shock, he looked at the Court Physician as if he betrayed him. “Uther had you, so the kingdom was safe. Scheming enemies may take this as an opportunity to kill you and seize the throne for themselves.”

The king did not miss how Gaius quickly shot Agravaine a pointed look.

Sighing, Arthur slumped on his seat and looked away. “I will think about it,” he mumbled, annoyed at how Agravaine smirked in triumph. “Now, if you would all so kindly leave me alone…”

The others started to stand up from their seat. “Not you, Gaius, you stay,” he said, eyes directed at the Court Physician.

Arthur also dismissed the other knights inside the Throne Room, so only he and Gaius were the ones inside.

Once alone, the king stood up and started to pace. “How could you demand such a thing from me when I am not even the king of this _bloody_ kingdom,” he chattered, irate, as he now glared at the Court Physician. “You _know_ that, Gaius. Don’t you?”

Gaius sighed. “I apologize, sire” – “ _Arthur_.” – “but the council members are adamant on already finding a queen for Camelot.” He paused as the pretend king continued to fume. “We have not been privileged enough to have a queen for a few years already. The kingdom will not stand without a queen any longer.”

Arthur ran a frustrated hand across his face. “I don’t plan on staying here long enough to even marry, bloddy hell,” he grumbled, glaring darkly at the Court Physician. “You cannot expect me to… to _marry_ someone when I could have searched for Arthur and Merlin instead.”

Gaius merely stared at him, graveness in his eyes that Arthur did not like one bit. “What if they were never found?” he final quipped, voicing out the bodyguard’s deepest fears ever since they arrived in this place. “What if you never found a way to go back home?"

“ _How dare you_ ” –

“Forgive me, Arthur, truly,” the old man sincerely said, sadly looking down on the floor. “It’s been almost a year since they went missing and I…” He paused, eyes already getting teary as he looked back at the furious king. “The hope, every day, as I stay up late to wait for my ward… it gradually diminishes, Arthur. I am truly sorry.”

In an instant, the anger in him had vanished. Instead, he merely felt exhaustion and sympathy for the kind, old physician. “Don’t say that, Gaius.”

“You have been a wonderful king, Arthur,” he continued. Arthur made a move to protest, but the physician stopped him. “I know you have doubts, but you have the attitude of a king. Because of you, balance and stability is maintained in Camelot.” 

Gaius paused, and hesitated for a bit, debating whether to continue the words still waiting to be expressed. “There is a part of me who wished that if Arthur and Merlin were never found, you stay here instead and assume the role of kingship,” he added, ashamed a tad bit. “If you left, Camelot will be in ruins.”

Arthur was reduced to silence as the Court Physician expectantly looked at him. “Think about these, sire,” he quietly said. “Camelot needs someone like you.”

Gaius then proceeded to leave the Throne Room. With Arthur now alone, he pondered about his current predicament.

He _hated_ the fact that Gaius made perfect sense, but he was terrified. Since day one, he had longed to go home, to go back to being the Head Bodyguard of the Crown Princess of England. He did not ask for this. This was not part of the plan.

All right, he admitted, Gaius was right in saying that leading came so naturally to him. Camelot was too beautiful to loathe, and he had come to care about the welfare of the people here in this kingdom.

But Gaius foresaw one thing.

He did not belong here.

The doors of the room suddenly opened, startling him from his thoughts. A band of maidservants came twittering inside. Arthur forgot that he ordered for them to clean the Throne Room after his meeting with his council.

Among the group, he spotted Princess Merlin, laughing prettily over something Guinevere said.

The sight of her brought the king to his feet, drawing attention to him. The maidservants stopped on their tracks, embarrassed for overlooking the fact that the king himself was inside the room. Soft apologies echoed in the empty hall, but Arthur did not pay them any attention.

Instead, his eyes were trained intently on her.

“You,” he ordered. “Come with me.”

* * *

Arthur was now pacing in his bedchambers, mentally kicking himself for not thoroughlu planning his actions. But he couldn’t help it; seeing her made him impulsively act and invite her to his bedchambers, emotions still high from his conversation with Gaius.

“Is something the matter, your highness?”

He cringed. He hoped she wouldn’t talk yet, but apparently curiosity had gotten to her.

Guinevere, expectant and curious, looked strangely at the king as Arthur finally stopped pacing and faced her completely.

Arthur opened his mouth, about to say something, but stopped himself. What was he to say to her? Why did he ask her to come with him to his room instead of Merlin? He could still picture the surprise on Merlin when he addressed Gwen a while ago.

Now looking at Elyan’s sister, Arthur could not deny that the maidservant exuded a beauty uniquely her own. _‘No wonder Original Arthur fell for her,’_ he thought, frowning as he could still feel the lingering feelings his original counterpart had for the lady sitting down in front of him.

With all these marriage talks, King Arthur knew it was logical to choose Gwen to be his wife. _History_ dictates that King Arthur always ended up with Guinevere, no matter what universe they were in. Professor Leech had taught them their love story, Guinevere’s inevitable betrayal with Lancelot, and how tragic their love story was.

But, Arthur remembered the real story. He remembered how Lancelot was brought back from the dead, made as a puppet by Morgana, just so she could ruin the love between Arthur and Gwen. There were snippets of their reign together, Gwen sitting beside him on her own throne, and people loved her as queen.

Their love transcended even the most powerful magic, and that was admirable. It was still a puzzle to him as to why he never harbored any feeling's for future Gwen. He never even interacted with her for a full a hour!  All he knew was that Elyan's siter was pretty and she brought out the best in Lancelot.

Here in Ancient Camelot was different, however. Here,  this maidseravnt loved him, or more fittingly his original counterpart. Arthur did not want to offend history just because he did not love Gwen.

The king blanched, starting to pace once more, as the realization dawned on him. He did not love maidservant Gwen. He did not even like her one bit! He hadn’t interacted with her as closely as today ever since he showed up in Camelot.

Finally, he took a deep breath and faced Gwen once more. “The council wishes for me to seek a bride,” he said.

Her eyes widened at his statement, cheeks already reddening with an anticipation Arthur dreaded.

He expelled a sigh, plopping down on his bed while still looking directly at Gwen. “What… what must I do, Guinevere?” he asked, imploring.

The maidservant bit her bottom lip, deep in thought. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, she replied, “Do whatever your heart says, Arthur.”

Which was the entire problem all the more, because his damned heart was telling him to choose Merlin instead.

He was terrified as he realized all these. Choosing Merlin was, on the other hand, also _logical_. She was comfortable, and she was the only one who he really knew in this damned place. His feelings for her were still budding, sure, and asking her for marriage was too _way ahead_. But, among all the options he had, she was the most logical of all.

If damnable destiny forced him to return back into time, to assume a role he did not want, and to marry in this ancient land, then for gods’ sakes, he’d rather marry the woman most suitable in his heart.

“I…” he faltered, dread pooling in his heart as Gwen straightened on her seat. “I’m not who you think I am, Guinevere.” He slowly rose up from his seat and pointedly stared at the maidservant. Gwen was almost taken aback by the seriousness on his face. “I… I’m sorry.”

Arthur then strode out from his room, knowing he’d predicted a heartbreak he was most probably about to cause.

* * *

“Why’d you ask for Gwen to meet you in your bedchambers a while ago?” Merlin inquired as Arthur finally showed up in their meeting place.

Night had befallen upon the kingdom, and Merlin was tired with today’s chores. But, she was itching to know what transpired between Arthur and Guinevere a while ago. Especially because Arthur looked too serious when he ordered for her friend to follow him.

The king frowned at her question and tiredly leaned against the wall. His actions made her more curious. It looked as if he was burdening something too great to handle. Worry started to pool at the bottom of her heart and Merlin braced herself for the worst as Arthur finally opened his mouth.

“The council wishes for me to seek a bride,” he said, echoing the exact words he uttered to Guinevere just a few hours ago.

His confession made her uneasy, swallowing a lump that formed in her throat. “That’s ridiculous,” she pointed out, a nervous laugh escaping from her lips. “We don’t really plan on staying here for you to find a wife.” She absentmindedly played at the hem of her dress and added, “Besides! Imagine if the Original Arthur came back and found out he was _married_.”

She laughed once more at how ridiculous it sounded, but it died down from her lips when Arthur merely stared back at her. “ _What_?” she asked, eyes already growing wide. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about it!”

King Arthur groaned and buried his face behind his hands. “Gaius said some… _things_ , and they made perfect sense,” he confessed, ashamed.

“What _things_?” she demanded, glowering darkly at her Head Bodyguard.

He looked hesitant in telling her. “Just things…”

She was annoyed he was not revealing everything. But, looking at Arthur now, the request seriously bothered him, and she did not like it one bit.

Princess Merlin could not stay here. It horrified her to pieces that Arthur had the audacity of thinking of settling down here in Camelot. _‘Did he perhaps think the Originals will… never be found?’_ she thought with such a heavy heart. She wanted to cry out in frustration, because with everything she had worked hard for back in her own kingdom, would all go to waste just because some stupid fate brought her here and made sure she’d stay forever.

Horror intensified, finally realizing why Gwen and Arthur’s meeting a while ago made perfect sense now. “You… you plan on asking _Gwen_?” she asked, almost breathless. A weird feeling was brewing in her stomach, and Merlin did not know anymore which she was more upset with.

“I-I did,” he said, almost imploring, and Merlin felt like she wanted to cry.

She looked away from him and expelled a huge sigh. “Guinevere will be thrilled to hear that, I’m sure,” she murmured, her eyes already growing hot from all the news she received today. Arthur could marry her, for all she care! She’d find a way to get away from here if it meant she was going back alone, damn it all.

Arthur sighed. “I… I have another candidate in mind, actually,” he softly replied.

Merlin swore her heart almost stopped right there and then. She looked back at him so fast, her neck cricked with the sudden movement. Her head bodyguard was looking at her, eyes shining under the moonlight. “W-what,” she breathlessly claimed, cheeks now flooding with blood. “Who?”

Bodyguard Arthur never broke their eye contact. “Perhaps you,” he whispered in reply.

Everything was starting to become a blur and Merlin started blubbering. “ _Are you an idiot?_ ” she exclaimed shrilly as she was brought to her feet. This time, it was her who started to pace. “Have you forgotten what I told you about rivaling history and all that… all that _crap_!” Oh how her mother would cringe with her dirty language. “I don’t plan to stay here, Arthur Pendragon, and you _can’t_ make me stay here. My poor parents… and _England_! Blast it, I'm _Crown Princess._ And damn it, _marriage_?” She wanted to cry so bad.

She turned around and started to poke a finger to his chest. “I just started to like you, you dollophead,” she cried, eyes still huge with mortification. “My heart could not handle being around you because you make me feel weird things. But, all right, the idea of being with you sounds amazing, but you’re asking me to leap _big_! I am not even Queen yet! "

Merlin retrieved her finger as the weight of her confession came crashing down at her. Horrified tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes, and Arthur had the audacity to smile so handsomely at her.

“Don’t worry, I like you, too,” he whispered, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“Clotpole,” she replied, equally embarrassed herself. “Out of everything I said, that was the only thing that registered to you?”

King Arthur sighed and held both of Merlin’s hands. Staring deeply into her eyes, he said, “It’s scary, I know. But as the King of this Kingdom, Camelot will be safer with this plan.”

She frowned. “I thought you’re Bodyguard Arthur?” she inquired.

He laughed, short and almost bittersweet. “I am,” he claimed, “but fate dictates otherwise, seeing that we are here in this time period. Gaius made sense, princess, and I trust him.” He squeezed her hands and smiled. “Besides, in the event we get married here and we’re able to go back home, we could always divorce.”

In spite of everything, she managed to crack a smile. “You should not take divorce lightly, too, Arthur Pendragon.”

The king shrugged. “Marriage laws here are obsolete, I’m quite sure,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if our marriage would be voided once we return.”

Slightly calmed down, Merlin sighed and sat back down beside him. “All right, let’s say I’m _thinking_ about it,” she slowly started, “what about Gwen?”

“What about her?”

She looked at him as if he was not serious. “We are talking about the Legends of King Arthur, _Arthur_ ,” she said, prompting him to raise an eyebrow in amusement. “We can’t just go around changing history.”

“History started to change when we’re brought here,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“But… Gwen loves you,” she whispered, “surely more than the feelings that I have for you.”

He lightly grinned. “You just pointed out a while ago that I’m Bodyguard Arthur,” he said.

Merlin groaned and started massaging her temples. “You contradict yourself, you know that right?” she murmured, glaring at her bodyguard. “You say you have a duty to me, and then start saying you have a duty to Camelot above all.”

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. “I am confused myself,” he confessed in shame. “I try to make good decisions, if you must know.”

The princess grabbed his hand once more and squeezed. “Oh, I know,” she said in consolation.

King Arthur smiled and squeezed back her hand. “So, what do you think, Princess Merlin Emrys?” he asked, the smile stretching on his face. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Closing her eyes, praying to the gods to guide her with whatever she decided, Merlin murmured the first answer the same answer that came to her mind.

“Yeah, whatever, you clotpole.”

* * *

Arthur watched smugly as he reduced his council to silence. Even Sir Blythe, who always seemed to have an opinion to every matter, was staring dumbly at him.

He finally revealed to his council that he wished to marry Meredith and make her queen. It was apparently not the answer they were expecting.

The king met Gaius’ eyes and smiled, eyes now directing at his uncle who was brought onto his feet.

“Sire,” he started, evident anger rising in his voice. “With all due respect, I believe that a lady of royal blood would be more suitable in becoming your wife.”

“I am sure you mean well, uncle,” the king replied, “but, _with all due respect_ , what is wrong with Meredith?”

Sir Blythe raised his hand, prompting the king to sigh. “Yes, Sir Blythe,” he acknowledged.

“Pardon me, King Arthur,” the council treasurer started, “Meredith is but a servant.”

Arthur raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. With hands outstretched, he claimed, “And I am but a servant to my people.” He paused, smirking, as Sir Blythe colored in embarrassment. “Aren’t we a perfect match?”

Once again, Arthur reduced his council to silence. _‘I’m on a roll,’_ he thought, proud of himself, as he sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “I assure you, dear Sirs, that Meredith is a perfect choice. Despite not being raised as a lady, I still want her to marry me.”

It sounded so surreal saying it aloud, but Arthur knew it was something he wanted as of the moment. “I decided that the marriage will partake a month from now.” Agravaine made a move to protest, but Arthur merely raised a hand to stop him. “For the remaining weeks, you may educate and train Meredith to become a great monarch Camelot needed her to be.” Secretly, he knew she was already perfect as Queen. 

Arthur then rose to his seat. “I vow to my throne, to my crown, to _Camelot_ ,” he paused, making sure to look at each and everyone of them, “Meredith will be a wonderful Queen of Camelot.”


	21. I'm Sorry, Gwen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana could not believe that Meredith was Arthur's future Queen. Meanwhile, Guinevere was foolish to hope it would be her. 
> 
> Also features Arthur's quest of stealing Princess Merlin's heart.

On the twelfth bell, Agravaine slipped away.

Cloaked and blending with the shadows, he hid away from any Patrolling Guards that could catch him out in the dark. As soon as he got his horse from the palace stable, he rode out of the castle and into the Darkling Woods.

The travel was silent, and it gave the lord some time to think about the events that transpired earlier this day. He was still in utter disbelief that his nephew chose a mere maidservant to become the future queen of Camelot.

The image of Meredith swam into his vision, prompting him to frown. There was always something strange about this girl, always appearing wherever he looked and went to. He thought it was odd that she was the one found together with Arthur back in the Lake of Avalon. Ever since then, the girl seemed to be following wherever their king went.

He knew he could make the maidservant nervous. Agravaine actually wondered if Meredith suspected his plans. But so far, nothing had happened, and he just hoped that Meredith would not be too stupid to stick her nose into his business.

He was nearing Morgana’s hovel and he braced himself for the news that he was about to announce. The young sorceress had been tumultuous these past few days. Days and days of brewing the perfect plan to overthrow Arthur and to train herself to become more powerful had tired her so. Agravaine knew he must be careful; else, he would be the receiving end of the rage of the beautiful lady.

Agravaine then proceeded to dismount from his dark horse, tying it to a nearby tree. Taking a deep breath, he strode towards the small shack and knocked.

“Come in,” a soft voice claimed from inside. The lord followed and opened the door, stepping inside.

“My lord,” she greeted, setting aside whatever potion she was brewing.

He grimaced at her sight, noting that the bags under her eyes seemed darker. Morgana also looked gaunt and sickly, and he took a mental note to steal as much food as he could from the castle the next time he visited her.

“My lady,” he replied, “I bring some tidings.”

Morgana assessed his expression for a while, and Lord Agravaine did his best to school his features.

“Speak,” was her mere order.

He took a deep breath and started reporting. “Merlin is still not found,” he started, watching as her eyes lit up with evil intent. “I believe the search party are starting to get tired of looking for him.”

“Their search will be futile,” she spat, eyes dangerously flashing as she remembered the traitor. “I’ve locked him away where no one could find him.”

“Good riddance,” Agravaine murmured, not particularly liking his nephew’s manservant.

Morgana went back to her potion and absentmindedly swirled for a few more minutes. “Have you already found out how Arthur mysteriously found his way back to Camelot?” she continued, eyes trained intently on her cauldron.

He was thankful she was not looking at him. Agravaine slightly shivered, noting with fear that the house grew colder. Morgana did not exactly take the news that Arthur was back very well. It was more of a furious burst of fire and magic that almost burned her house down.

“I apologize, my lady,” he whispered, hoping she did not hear him clearly.

But she heard him, all right. Weird fumes emitted from her now shaking cauldron and Agravaine cautiously stepped back, predicting another violent outburst of magic. To his surprise, Morgana calmed down, and so did the bubbling cauldron.

“He is definitely Arthur,” he carefully continued, gauging her reaction. “His words, his actions, his mannerisms…” He paused as he thought of his nephew. Agravaine had made it a habit to observe him ever since his return. There were times, though, when Arthur would seem confused… _lost_ of what he was doing. But perhaps, those were just his imaginations because so far, Camelot was still stable and flourishing under his reign.

This troubled Morgana, for she stepped away from the potion and started to pace. “It bothers me deeply how my idiot brother was able to go back to Camelot, seemingly unscathed. Merlin is not a problem anymore, all right, but Arthur…”

“Why don’t you check yourself if Arthur is still where you last left him? Just to prove that the one sitting on the throne right now could possibly be a fake."

Her eyes dangerously flashed and Agravaine thought it was the wrong thing to ask. “I… may have overlooked one loophole,” she said, voice eerily calm. “I have no means of checking myself, magic or not.”

The lord released a shuddering breath, convinced a while ago that he was done for. But perhaps, Morgana was too embarrassed to delve into the loophole… the _error_ she committed. The High Priestess did not do well with mistakes, after all.

“If… if you do not mind me asking,” he started once more before he could stop himself. “ _Where_ is Merlin?”

An evil grin lit her face as she looked at the lord. “Oh, Agravaine, I’ve imprisoned the meddling sorcerer somewhere no one knew.” She shook her head and stood still, before continuing, “Killing him would be such a waste, especially because his power is vast and magnificent.” She sighed longingly, perhaps remembering Merlin’s power. “I am still trying to persuade him to side with me.”

Agravaine made a noncommittal sound, still disbelieving that the lanky fool was actually a powerful sorcerer. No wonder Arthur had always been saved from peril. He thought, with Merlin out of the picture, Arthur would be too vulnerable.

“I have another news, my lady,” he quietly added. "Arthur already chose a girl for his queen.”

Her neck turned to him so fast he swore he heard her neck crick.

“What did you say?” she asked, almost breathlessly, as she slowly walked towards Agravaine.

“Camelot will soon have a queen, Morgana,” he meekly repeated.

Her eyes flared. This time, her anger was more pronounced. “Nobody becomes Queen of Camelot but me,” she snarled. The flames from the small hearth flickered dangerously, with the windowpanes rattling loudly due to her unsuppressed anger.

“When will the wedding be?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“A month from now, my lady,” he replied, eyes trained on the floor.

Morgana strolled towards her spell book and started to browse, perhaps a spell to blast off anyone claiming to become Queen of Camelot. Agravaine actually felt pity for Meredith for being the receiving end of the powerful sorceress’ wrath.

“Guinevere will be taken care of,” she said, her stormy eyes still hungrily skimming the pages.  “Observe her keenly and report everything she does to me, understand?”

His eyebrows knitted together, confused. “Guinevere?” he asked. “Why must I observe her, Morgana?”

Morgana mirrored his confusion. “She is destined to be Queen of Camelot, of course,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I’ve seen visions of her in my dreams and I would do everything in my power to destroy her.”

Agravaine blinked and sauntered closer. “But, my lady, it is not Guinevere that will marry Arthur,” he revealed, prompting her eyes to grow into saucers. “Arthur wishes to marry another servant girl, Meredith.”

“Meredith?” she asked, deeply frowning. “I’ve never heard of such a name.”

“She is new,” Agraivane claimed. “But the girl already stole Arthur’s heart. I’ve… I’ve seen hints before, of a probable budding romance between the two.”

The lord was surprised that Morgana’s visions were erroneous this time. He knew about Morgana’s dreams, and the power behind them. Perhaps, it was the first time she got this information wrong. He could see that she was also not taking her mistake lightly.

Still shaken from her error, Morgana stared sternly at Agravaine. “Then observe this serving girl,” she ordered. “Leave now, Agravaine. I have a plan to brew.”

Lord Agravaine bowed, bid her goodbye, before returning back to Camelot.

* * *

“You’ve done this a hundred times before,” Arthur pointed out, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

She glared at him, and then to her shaking hands, then back at him. “This is different,” she explained. Her nervousness intensified as the murmurings from outside grew more and she dreaded the fact that she had to do _this_.

After Arthur told her what the council’s reaction was upon choosing her as his bride, the king then proceeded to tell her it was mandatory to announce their planned marriage to their people. Of course, as what Arthur told her, she had done this a _hundred times,_ perhaps even more. But this was different. Back home, she was the Crown Princess. She was supposed to show herself to her people as much as possible to assure them that she was present and such. But here in Camelot, she was just a mere maidservant. Besides, she knew there would be mixed reactions with their announcement. She just hoped they were much more positive than what she feared.

“Come on now,” he said, placing a hand at her back to guide her out. “The people are waiting.”

As they walked into the balcony of the castle, adrenaline rushed throughout Merlin’s body. She would never get used to this sudden rush of meeting the people she was going to rule over in the future. Merlin thought it was funny that, despite being thrown here in Camelot, she was destined to rule after all.

“My dear people,” Arthur started, voice booming throughout the crowd. Merlin silently observed and could see looks of suspicion at her presence. Looking away, she listened to Arthur. “I have gathered you all here today to give an announcement.”

He then looked at her and smiled brightly. Gesturing at her, he looked back at the crowd once more and continued, “This is Meredith and she is to be my wife.”

It was expected when loud murmurs ran across the crowd. Shock was evident on their faces as eyes trained intently on Merlin. All these stares made her want to run. She hated to admit it but some were not happy with Arthur’s announcement at all.

And then, Arthur’s hand held hers. He held her clammy, shaking hand with so much comfort and warmth it made her relax somehow. 

With his free hand, Arthur raised his hand until the noise died down. “I chose Meredith because I think she will be a wonderful Queen to Camelot,” he continued. “And, I promise you, if you supported my decision, this will be realized.” He silently squeezed her hand tighter. “She is a servant girl, yes, but I love her and I am sure you will love her, too.”

The noise erupted once more, and Arthur had to pull a shell-shocked Merlin back into the room.

“Seriously?” she furiously whispered for Arthur to only hear. “ _Love_?”

Arthur cheekily grinned and merely shrugged. She had to restrain herself from punching him in the face since the knights and the council were looking at them curiously.

“One day,” he whispered back, there heads so near Merlin could already feel his breath on her cheeks, “I will steal that heart of yours. You just wait.”

She furiously blushed at his statement, prompting his grin to widen. It was only when Agravaine cleared his throat did they direct their attention to the council.

“As the Future Queen of Camelot,” Arthur’s uncle started, stern eyes staring directly into her own, “you are expected to act like one.”

The redness on her cheeks had not faded, but Merlin knew it was more of indignation.

“There is still a month before your wedding,” he continued. “With the remaining days, you are to attend to various tutoring sessions with me and the other council members. These lessons include literature, politics, proper etiquette and decorum, economy, and the likes.”

Merlin made a face, which she knew Agravaine saw for he glared.

“You still have a lot to learn, _girl_ ,” he spat in addition.

The princess lifted her chin and haughtily returned his glare. _‘I will show you, you arse!’_ she mentally screamed inside.

“All right, all right,” Arthur said, stepping in between the two. He looked at Agravaine and the others and smiled. “Thank you for your kindness, uncle. You may now leave. I still have matters to discuss with Meredith.”

Agravaine gave her one last glower before turning away and leaving. The other two council members Merlin did not recognize merely gave her a stare before following Agravaine. Leon gave her a cheeky wink with Gaius, at the rear, giving her a warm smile.

Once they were alone, Merlin looked at Arthur in exasperation.

“They think I’m stupid,” she grumbled.

The king grinned a tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Show them otherwise, princess,” he encouraged.

Merlin sighed and dreaded for the future days to come.

* * *

Show them otherwise, that was what she did, as Merlin went through the lessons of the council in a breeze.

Agravaine made sure she was having a difficult time. Forcing Old English for her to master, with some political laws and battle tactics aside… Princess Merlin was always reduced to a tired heap by the end of the day. But she always aced his tests, much to his disgruntlement. He, and the other council members, never stopped once and asked her how much knowledge she possessed.

She _knew_ Old English by heart. At a young age of ten, her father was already quizzing her every time they had some free time together. Besides, as a powerful sorceress, she had to learn Old English just so she could properly pronounce her spells and understood their etymology.

Politics, too, was just too easy for her. Although most of the laws were obsolete, they still had a certain pattern that mirrored the politics she learned back home. Every law was done to maintain order, of course, and Merlin could recall Original Merlin’s life here in Camelot to remember whatever laws were implemented now.

Battle tactics and plans were not really taught to her. Since she was a _woman,_ they did not expect her to decide for future wars. Unless, of course, Arthur was killed in battle and she was forced to become the reigning monarch of Camelot. Besides, it was Sir Leon who was teaching her about these kinds of things. They never really _study_ , but more of hang out with the other Knights of the Round Table.

A particular “study session” still made Merlin smile whenever she thought about it.

 _“So, Meredith,”_ Gwaine inquired her one time when she and the others were lazing around somewhere far from Camelot. The princess was quite exhausted that day because Agravaine made her recite all the laws in Camelot regarding trade and commerce with the other kingdoms nearby.

 _“I have been itching to ask this ever since you were announced as the future Queen of Camelot,”_ the cheeky knight continued. The others were also looking at Sir Gwaine in curiosity. _“Were you the mystery masked maiden everybody was talking about during Arthur’s birthday ball?”_

She grinned at his question and merely shrugged, prompting him to groan in exasperation. She had heard about this certain nickname of hers when she showed up in Arthur’s birthday, and she’d rather keep that knowledge to herself. She knew Agravaine had been itching to ask her about it too, having dropped hints about her mask and all.

Besides the gaining of knowledge, Merlin was also forced to do dancing lessons. It was perhaps the most difficult one. Even back home, her tutor always tutted, pointing out that despite the grace she exuded during her appearances, she terribly lacked it on the dance floor.

Merlin _hated_ dancing, and she was just thankful the high powers above it was not Agravaine teaching her this. He’d surely be torturing her by now just to spite her.

All in all, she was doing wonderfully. She actually expected the lessons would be difficult, but she managed them well. Years and years of tutoring back home made her adopt the lessons quickly, having learned some techniques and strategies that surprised the council. Sometimes, she would do something so exceptionally she could not suppress the smug grin on her face as Agravaine looked at her as if she was some mythical creature lost in the Darkling Woods.

Her mother would be so proud.

* * *

Merlin plopped down on her bed, too tired to even change her clothes for the day.

A whirlwind of economics and dancing lessons made her literally tired physically and mentally and all she wanted to do now was close her eyes and sleep the tiredness away. She was thankful Gaius was not here bustling inside, reprimanding her of cleaning her room as the future Queen of Camelot. Also, she could not stand how Gaius looked at her sometimes.

 _“I did not know you and the young lad were in a relationship,”_ he once pointed out, a perfectly arched eyebrow raised on his forehead.

Besides,  she admitted she was a lite sore it was Gaius who talked some sense into Arthur that brought her into this mess in the first place.

Her door slightly creaked open and she had to suppress a groan from escaping. “Gaius, I’m tired,” she murmured sleepily, hiding underneath her covers in hopes of driving the Court Physician away.

She was met by silence and Merlin frowned. Removing the blanket over her head, she peeked and froze. Instead of Gaius, her eyes beheld a nervous Guinevere. Princess Merlin shot up from her bed so fast, she saw how Gwen took a step back in surprise.

“Gwen!” she exclaimed almost breathlessly, her stomach already churning in nervousness.

To her horror, her friend curtsied, _curtsied!_ , and shot her a small smile. “Forgive my intrusion at such a late hour, my lady,” she politely said, “but the Head Cook wants to ask you what you would want to eat for tomorrow.”

As the King’s fiancée, Merlin had this privilege. She even could request to be transferred to a much bigger and beautiful room in the castle if she wanted to, but she chose to spend her remaining single days with Gaius.

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as Merlin looked away. It felt like she was back home, with people of differing statues now regarding her as someone with a high position. She especially hated it that Gwen was acting distant now that she was the future Queen and Gwen would continue to be a maidservant.

Tension was in the room and Merlin did not know what to do. She dreaded this meeting because ever since Arthur announced to the kingdom she was to be his bride, Merlin avoided Gwen at all cost. Somehow, she thought that Gwen was avoiding her, too, and it was quite a relief. But, seeing her here now, the _supposed_  Queen, Merlin felt that churning nervousness at the pit of her stomach morph into monstrous guilt.

“I…” she started, arms outstretched as she took a step forward. Gwen looked at her curiously, eyes already shining with tears she knew she was suppressing. “I’m sorry, Gwen.”

Surprised, the maidservant merely looked at her, at loss for words. Then, Gwen took a sharp intake of breath before finally unleashing her tears. Merlin felt like crying too, but she knew it would just make matters worst.

“I-I was foolish to think that perhaps, _perhaps_ , it was me that Arthur would choose,” Guinevere blubbered, haphazardly wiping the tears on her face. Merlin was tempted to tell her that he will, he will, and wanted to promise her so badly that she would find Arthur soon. For her.

She abhorred the fact that she was breaking the heart of a friend just because she couldn’t speak the truth.

“I’m sorry, Gwen,” Merlin whispered once more, reaching out as she finally enveloped Gwen into a hug. Thankfully, her friend did not pull away. “I-I promise everything would be all right.”

Gwen pulled away and gave her a small smile behind her tears. Merlin felt pain clench her heart as she looked at her heartbroken friend. “If… if it’s you that Arthur chooses,” she started, “I-I trust his judgment.” She held both of Merlin’s hand and squeezed them. “I will continue loving him at a distance. Oh, I will. But… but _you’re_ my friend, Meredith. And I know you are _good_. Perhaps, you are what Camelot needs.”

Merlin was shocked at her friend’s words, she did not even realize her tears already fell. “No, Gwen,” she tearfully said, burying her face against Gwen’s mass of curly hair. “I… I am not good.” She thought of all the lies and deceit she did ever since she landed here in Camelot and she just wanted to end things now so that everybody would get their happy ending.

Gwen shook her head to disagree with her before looking her squarely in the eyes. The sorrow she felt was strong and Merlin wanted to hold her tight once more until her pain would go away. “So, your meal tomorrow, my lady?” she asked once more.

* * *

When Merlin came to their meeting place, eyes red and puffy, Arthur somehow suspected what might have happened. He had seen the same look at Guinevere before he ventured to this place, while the maidservant pointedly did not look at him.

Tears once again gathered at the corner of her eyes as she took a seat and looked at him imploringly. Arthur sighed and gently patted her head as she sniffled softly, hands already haphazardly wiping the tears away.

“I-I talked to Gwen,” she softly cried. “It was awful.”

She hid her face behind her eyes and continued to cry. Despite her tears, Arthur smiled. Merlin had always been tough. He had never seen her cry back home. Seeing her now, crying guilty tears over a friend she had hurt, his idea of her being a wonderful queen just intensified.

“Everything will be all right,” he murmured, mentally hoping it would be soon. “Once you are Queen, we’d soon scour the lands for the real Arthur and Merlin so that we could go back home.” He sighed longingly, staring at the distance as he remembered home. “We’d finish studying in the university and earn a degree. You’d be a better Crown Princess for England and finally become her Queen. I would continue being your head bodyguard and I promise to be by your side until the end.”

He chanced a glance at Merlin, silently congratulating himself for making her smile. “You’d be a wonderful Queen and Gwen knew that,” he continued in consolation. “Gwen is kind. You’ll be completely forgiven, especially because your coronation would be the best thing that had ever happened in Camelot. So, do me a favor and wipe those tears away.”

He brought his hands on her face and brushed more stray tears away. Arthur leaned closer and placed a light kiss on her forehead, grinning as he felt her cheeks grew hot.

“Smiling suits you more, you know,” he offered.

She flushed redder and looked away from his gaze. “Th-that’s not good,” she said, placing a hand against her heart. “You almost completely stole my heart away.”

Arthur boisterously laughed and pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss on her hair. “Idiot,” he fondly replied as Merlin smiled against his shoulder.


	22. Accusations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agravaine continues to be shifty and Merlin is growing wary.

Agravaine entered the castle gates, a small, victorious smirk plastered on his face.

His brief meeting with Morgana in the Darkling Woods was, for lack of a better word, _interesting_. Her plan was quite simple, but the lord knew it would yield results that even Meredith could not predict.

The wedding between King Arthur and the maidservant was fast approaching. Camelot was already bustling with the preparations. To his disgruntlement, Meredith as the future Queen of Camelot had caused quite a buzz all throughout the kingdom. Everybody received it mostly positively, with some skeptics still whispering with each other in the streets. He hoped that after Morgana’s plan was realized, Meredith would be immediately forgotten. Or worse, remembered infamously.

As he strolled back to his bedchambers, he was able to pass by the King and his future bride. “Arthur,” he said in greeting, inclining his head. His eyes then landed on the maidservant and also inclined his head, albeit a tad mockingly. “Meredith.”

He saw as her eyes flash suspiciously, narrowing them unexpectedly as she wordlessly returned his greeting. Agravaine knew that the mysterious maiden always felt uncomfortable under his presence and he had no plans of changing that soon. He just hoped she would never find out where his true loyalty lies.

The couple was most likely going to the royal seamstress today, and Agravaine excused himself. He could hear wedding talks exchanged between the two. His anticipation for Morgana’s plan increased in momentum and he wished that it would come sooner.

* * *

“Something is seriously _off_ with Agravaine,” Merlin grumbled to her groom-to-be, her eyes trained intently on the suspicious lord as he walked away from the two. She heard Arthur sigh beside her, prompting her to roll her eyes. “I’m serious, Arthur. I feel like he’s planning… _stuff_.” 

He made a noncommittal sound behind his throat. “Of course you are,” he murmured, a tad distracted already as they neared the royal seamstress’ room. “But can we not talk about him for now? We have important matters to attend to.”

The princess rolled her eyes once more, her nervousness now heightening.

She was to fit her wedding dress today, and she could not really explain why butterflies were in her stomach. She was thankful for today’s day-off, relieved that Arthur’s court would not be yammering underlying insults to her as they taught her how to become a queen. Merlin never failed to make them dumbfounded with her ridiculous speed in grasping all their teachings. At times, she was so tempted to retort that she was _bloody born_ for this kind of things, but held her tongue in the end.

Now that they were to visit the royal seamstress, however, Merlin had no idea what made her nervous more. Beside her, Arthur started to chuckle.

“What?” she spat, eyes narrowing.

The king grinned and shook his head. “Are you, perhaps, nervous, princess?” he asked in jest. Red splattered her cheeks but she continued to glare. “Come now, you are just going to fit your wedding dress, not have a speech in front of your future subjects.” Now all the color drained from her face, triggering disbelieving laughs from Arthur’s mouth. “Besides, you’ve been to numerous seamstresses! Today should not really be a big deal.”

Merlin disbelieving shook her head. “Y-you wouldn't understand,” she slightly stuttered, eyes now trained intently on the floor. “I’m to fit my wedding dress today, Arthur. My _wedding dress_.” She gulped and tucked a nervous strand behind her ear. “This is different.”

It was true she had fitted far more dresses than a Barbie doll could ever have, but never a wedding dress. Her mother was always with her when she was fitting for a new dress, ordering what color combination to choose, what neckline it should have, and other embellishments that would go so well with the planned dress. Merlin always adored the dresses her mother chose for her and, with Queen Hunith absent on the fitting day she needed her the most, Merlin actually felt forlorn.

To her surprise, Arthur held her hand and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes flittered to his face and offered him a smile.

“I know events like this are important for you,” he slowly stated, his eyes never leaving her face. “And… err, well, I’m not really sure how I could comfort you, but do know that I’ll be here, okay?” He flashed her a boyish smile that made her heart melt. “I will not go anywhere.”

She beamed, already loads comforted by his sweet gesture and words. She absolutely missed her mother, and King Balinor, too, but it already made her feel better that it was Bodyguard Arthur who got to be with her today.

“King Arthur,” the royal seamstress said, a hunched woman with hands already wrinkled due to age, greeted them as they entered. Her eyes landed on Merlin and she smiled. “Your highness.”

Her cheeks reddened, embarrassed at the address. “I’m not yet queen,” she pointed out.

“Of course,” the seamstress said, chuckling. “But I have to start practicing calling you as one, I believe.”

“Leonora,” Arthur then said, “I’ll leave Meredith in your care.” He then pushed Merlin towards the old woman. “Please do take care of her. Although, I must warn you, she is quite a handful.”

The maidservant craned her neck to shoot a glare towards the king, only making him laugh.

“I will try my best, sire,” Leonora said, her small hands now gripping Merlin’s arm. “Come now, my lady. I have a lot of plans for your dress.”

Different women, which Merlin presumed were her assistants, came bustling toward the seamstress. The young sorceress swallowed thickly as they finally led her inside a curtain, wondering what they would do to her.

* * *

They had been gone for _hours_ and Arthur was already bored out of his wits.

He was actually thankful for today since he was relieved from his duties, seeing that he had to prepare for his wedding and accompany his future wife in choosing a dress. His curious eyes watched the curtain, frowning as he heard soft giggles and sounds of admiration flittering about.

King Arthur was actually looking forward to see how Princess Merlin looked. The white dress was expected, of course, seeing that it was her wedding day. But Merlin was to wear another dress for her coronation – one that would bear the Pendragon colors to mark her start as the Queen of Camelot.

As he waited, his mind went back to Merlin’s earlier claim regarding Agravaine. Although he brushed off her words a while ago, Arthur couldn’t help but to silently concur with her. His uncle had been going off to who-knows-where for the past few days. Often, he would excuse himself from the council meeting, stating he had personal things he had to attend to.

Arthur never really asked his uncle about his whereabouts, but it only made him curious all the more. He could remember remnants of Agravaine in the past, but they were blurry, and it made him nervous. Arthur thought he remembered everything once he arrived here, but he reckoned that there was still a fog shrouding his subconsciousness. Despite this, he was on guard any time Agravaine made a move that could be deemed dangerous and suspicious.

His mind was cut off from such worrisome things when the curtain was drawn apart. Arthur was brought to his feet, mouth ajar as the royal seamstress and her assistants presented Merlin. Her wedding dress was billowy, reminiscent of the wedding dress in his time, with a touch of some medieval designs. But Gods, she was _beautiful_.

Complete with a makeshift hairstyle to clip on her veil, Merlin was everything a _bride_ would envy. Arthur stared at her for a full minute, noting how her cheeks flared with his stare, but he could not keep his eyes away from her.

“Well?” Leonora asked, chest already puffing out with the reaction she elicited from him. A knowing smirk crossed her wrinkly face, and Arthur willed his mouth to close.

To his mortification, he seemed not to form any coherent words. King Arthur cleared his throat and straightened up, finally muttering a raspy “Fine”, which seemed enough for Leonora.

The royal seamstress pulled her behind the curtains once more, with Arthur’s eyes never leaving Merlin’s form.

Weird somersaults were happening at the pit of his stomach and Arthur grew a little uncomfortable. Before he could completely recover from the shock of Merlin’s beauty, she was presented to him once more, this time wearing a dress that boasted of Pendragon prestige and royalty.

His cheeks were now flaring and Arthur swore his heart couldn’t take these presentations. The wedding dress had left him like a blubbering fool, but her coronation dress had made him mute all together.

Leonora did not ask for his opinion anymore. He reckoned his face was all the answer she needed, because the seamstress was now happily twittering to her assistants of more alterations she could think of.

Merlin’s mirthful eyes never left his face, with her cheeks still prettily red from embarrassment and perhaps a little pride. “Well…,” she started, shyly tucking a strand behind her ear. “Did I manage to steal your heart this time, Arthur Pendragon?”

His eyes grew fond, his mouth stretching wide. “We’ll see about that, Meredith,” he playfully replied, deep down knowing she had already done that ages ago.

* * *

A soft yawn tore from her mouth, luxuriously stretching her arms above her head. A satisfying crick made her smile, massaging her sore shoulders and arm.

Merlin was currently walking in the corridor at the dead of the night. She had her late night lesson with Sir Geoffrey on the Pendragon genealogy and their different allies and enemies, and she was seriously tired. The princess reckoned that the court members were more rigorous in drilling lessons to her, seeing that the royal wedding was nearing.

Just the thought of it still made her heart skip a beat. Marrying in this ancient land was still surreal to her, especially since she was to marry her bodyguard disguised as the king of Camelot, no less! Although she was reassured that the wedding laws here were obsolete and would be nullified once they went back to the future, Merlin still couldn’t help but feel fidgety about it.

After she and Arthur were married, then what? Merlin was thankful the corridors were dark; else, any Patrolling Knights that come her way would be suspicious with how hot and bothered the princess suddenly became.

She had been taught of this _inevitable_ even way back, when King Balinor and Queen Hunith had to make sure she understood about the importance of consummating a wedding and producing an heir. Just reminiscing about it made her sick in the stomach, picturing Balinor’s awkwardness and Hunith’s no-nonsense attitude. Geoffrey of Monmouth had reminded her in passing that Camelot needs an heir for the throne to be secured, and, well, _Merlin_ was horrified.

Sudden footsteps reached her ears, startling the embarrassed princess. Wildly looking behind, her eyes strained in search for anyone. It was too dark, however, and the dimming candles were of no help, too.

With heightened senses, Merlin hastened her pace. Her magic hummed lightly, readying herself in case she was suddenly attacked. Memories of her perpetrator back in the university resurfaced in her mind and she blanched.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her. Fear gripped her heart and she trashed wildly as screams of help escaped from her mouth. Merlin readied herself to unleash her magic, to save herself from this assault, when the unnamed man was suddenly thrown off the ground.

She watched, bewildered and confused, as several swords conjured out of nowhere came hurtling towards the man, piercing through his body and instantly killing him. The nauseating sight of blood made her weak in the knees, Merlin now taking a few steps back in fear.

Merlin wildly looked around, searching for the person who did this. Her magic was intact, that was for sure. She would have felt it if she was the one who conjured those swords and killed her attacker.

Her eyes then landed on two figures across the corridor. Two maidservants, their faces horrified and white, were looking at her, obvious fear in their eyes. “Y-you,” one breathed, eyes shifting down on the dead man. “Those swords… _I saw you_.”

Both of the maidservants suddenly dashed away from Merlin, gasps of terror escaping from their mouth, while Merlin was left all alone in the dark corridor, fearing for her life.

* * *

 

The next morning, it did not surprise Merlin she was suddenly dragged into the Throne Room. She was still shaken from the events of last night, the memory of the dead man lingering in her thoughts. Merlin was unable to sleep for the night, and she was thankful Gaius was already fast asleep when she arrived.

She had contemplated, hard and long, whether to run away or face the music. The latter won, however, especially because she did not have the heart to leave Arthur in this cruel, beautiful kingdom alone and lost with her sudden disappearance. 

Across her sat a confused Arthur, his eyes silently asking her questions she did not wish to answer. Her eyes never met his, afraid that she would breakdown right there and then. She felt nauseous once more, and prayed to anyone that could hear to give her strength. Merlin felt thankful that Gaius was beside her. His presence somehow gave her some semblance of comfort.

Agravaine stood and sauntered closer to Merlin, leering looks sent her way. She glared darkly at him before looking down at her feet, her hands now balled into fists. She could not shake the feeling that perhaps, Arthur’s uncle had something to do about this.

“I have heard such a peculiar rumor about last night, Meredith,” Agravaine drawled, his eyes never leaving her trembling form. “Do you wish to disclose what happened?”

The princess lifted her head briefly. “I do not know what you are talking about,” she stonily replied, her gaze hard and dark. If she found that Agravaine had anything to do about this, she _swore_ he would never live another day.

“If you cooperate, perhaps your life will be spared, my dear,” the lord continued, now sneering down at her.

Behind him, Arthur was brought to his feet. “What are you talking about, Agravaine?” he called, positive confusion still etched on his handsome face. His eyes shifted from his uncle, and then to Merlin. “Meredith, what is he talking about?”

Her bottom lip trembled as she looked at Arthur. Somehow, she felt that whatever happened to her today would not be a good one.

“Sire,” Agravaine started, turning around to look at his king. “It has come to my attention that Meredith, here, has killed a man last night.”

“Bring the witnesses,” Lord Agravaine then ordered before Merlin or Arthur could protest. The doors to the Throne Room were opened, and the two maidservants Merlin saw last night were ushered inside. Their eyes strayed to her, and she could see the fear in them. “Speak of what you saw last night.”

The taller of the two shakily stepped forward, her eyes darting shiftily from Merlin to King Arthur. “L-last night,” she softly started. Beside her, the other maidservant started to softly cry. “A-a man was killed. By _magic_.” Gasps of surprise were heard inside the Throne Room, and Arthur had to raise his hand to halt them.

Agravaine urged the girl to continue. “T-there were flying swords, sire. I-I swear I saw them! Anna here, saw it too, did you Anna?” She looked at her companion, who vigorously nodded her head. “W-we saw them.”

“Who made those swords fly, dear girl,” Agravaine asked, eyes now latched intently on Merlin. “Pray tell, who killed that man?”

The maidservant looked at Merlin in terror. Shakily, she lifted a finger and pointed it at Merlin. “I-it was Meredith, sire. I _swear_ it was Meredith.”

The people inside were aghast and Arthur was absolutely livid. His features hardened and he stared hard and long at the two maidservants, who were now cowering under his gaze. “If,” he snarled, his tone icy it even made Merlin shiver, “you are speaking ill of your _future queen_ , then may the heavens help you.” The other maidservant, the one who revealed of last night’s events, also started to cry. “You will be convicted of treason and beheaded. Do you understand me?”

“B-but sire,” said the other maidservant, Anna, “we know what we saw.”

Arthur wildly looked at Merlin, silently beseeching her to defend herself, but the Princess found herself unable to do so. A lump was lodged in her throat, and she could feel herself trembling more. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, but she was too terrified to move.

Did she really do that? Merlin _swore_ magic never even left her system last night! And, if she were to prove her innocence, then the maidservants would be beheaded.

Blanching, the gears started to move inside her head. She had to think of a plan, and quick!

“Meredith,” Arthur cried, now descending the dais to walk closer to his future bride, “do you deny this?”

Merlin wordlessly looked at Arthur, before closing her eyes and swallowing. She could already feel the fearful glares she was receiving. She was not exactly popular amongst the court from the first day she was declared as the future queen, and she knew they would do anything to keep her away from becoming one anyway.

“I know this must be hard for you, Arthur, but we have witnesses,” Agravaine then said, placing a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “Do not let your feelings for this servant girl cloud your judgment.” Arthur took a sharp intake of breath. “Do what you must, sire. She is a _sorceress._ ”

Gaius stepped forward, face grave. “That is a grave accusation, Lord Agravaine,” the Court Physician said, speaking for the first time.

“There are _witnesses_ ,” Agravaine reiterated through gritted teeth, his eyes never breaking away from Gaius’ gaze. “I believe that letting her go could be dangerous to the kingdom.”

His claim seemed to snap the court off their stupor, for their whispers grew louder and their gazes were accusatory. Merlin just wanted to disappear from their sight.

Arthur was silent for a while. Merlin waited with bated breath, hoping still that she would be spared, but who was she kidding? She was in Camelot. She was in a land where beauty and formidability reigned, but at the same time, the same kingdom that had persecuted thousands of persons of magic. Everybody here was paranoid of anyone exhibiting such weird powers. That thought itself extinguished whatever hope she had in her heart.

The king looked straight into her eyes and this time, Merlin did not break away from his gaze. She trembled, feeling almost faint, as there was absolution and apology in his eyes. “B-bring her to the dungeons,” he uttered, his voice breathless. Tears continued to stream down from her eyes, but she willed them not to look away. “Just… just keep her there for the time being.”

Two knights harshly grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the Throne Room. Along the way, she caught sight of a worried Gaius, but she merely shook her head. Craning her neck, Merlin stole one last look at Arthur.

Swallowing thickly, she looked straight ahead once more, dreading for the future days to come.

* * *

Arthur hastily walked into the dungeons, glaring darkly at the two knights who crossed their swords to stop him.

“What are you doing?” he spat. “Let me through.”

“Lord Agravaine gave us strict orders not to let you see the witch, sire,” one of the knights said.

The king was in disbelief. “I am the _king_ , for heavens’ sake,” he growled, prompting them to flinch at the tone of his voice. “ _Let me through_. I am not going to repeat myself again.”

The two knights looked at each other for a while before putting their swords away. King Arthur darkly glared at them before ordering them to leave. “I am not going to break her free, if you are so worried,” Arthur snapped. “Just _leave_.”

They scrambled out of the dungeons, finally leaving Arthur. The king hastily walked through the dungeons, eyes scanning the prisons to search for Princess Merlin. He finally found her at the far end of the dungeons, head buried in her arms while she was huddled on the cold damp floor.

Arthur shakily walked closer, furious that they imprisoned her in such an atrocious place. But then, he remembered it was him who _ordered_ for her arrest, and he suddenly felt sick in the stomach.

“Merlin,” he called.

The princess lifted her head in surprise. Arthur could see the tearstains on her face, and he felt guilty all the more.

“You really shouldn’t be here,” she croaked, haphazardly wiping her tears away. “They shouldn’t see you with me, Arthur.”

Arthur grasped the prison bars tightly that his knuckles turned white. “What have you done?” he silently asked, fearing for her future.

Sobs racked her body once more. “I-I didn’t use magic, I swear,” she whispered, tired of explaining herself. There was resignation in her voice and form. “I… I don’t know why I couldn’t speak for myself a while ago.”

His anger dissipated as he heavily sagged against her prison bars. Her eyes were bright and red with tears, her bottom lip was trembling, and Arthur did not know what to do. “I…” he started, pausing as he licked his lips. “A-are you all right, your highness?” was all he could quietly asked.

Princess Merlin was surprised with his question, and in spite of herself, she gave him a watery smile. “No,” she lamented. “No, Arthur, I’m not.” She wiped her tears once more and slowly stood up from the cold, damp floor and walked closer to the prison bars. “You must _believe_ me, Arthur. I-I swear, I did not use magic.” She hesitated for a bit, then continued, “I must admit, I was _about_ to.” His eyes grew round but she hastily shook her head. “No, n-no, listen to me!”

Arthur willed himself to school his features, and waited for her to continue.

“I-I was walking last night, b-back to Gaius’ bedchambers,” she started, softly sniffing in the dead of the night. “When suddenly, a man attacked me. I-I did plan to blast him away with magic, but before I could even do so, he was hurtled away and the swords came flying to him and…” She swallowed thickly, the pool of blood still vivid in her mind’s eye. “I-if I were to use my magic, I would have never killed him, Arthur. I would _never_.”

She uttered her last words with such vehemence, her doe eyes beseeching for him to understand and believe her.

Silently, he shook his head in incredulity. Of course, he believed her! Why wouldn’t he? “I-I will call for another council meeting first thing in the morning,” he vowed to her. “I will tell them of the things you told me. Perhaps… _perhaps,_ they would reconsider.”

Somehow, he doubted they would.

To his surprise, she merely sadly smiled at him and shook her head. “Your council… _Agravaine_ … they don’t particularly like me, Arthur.” She took a deep breath and continued. “If you continue to defend me, they would merely come up with different theories such as me using a love potion on you. Besides, those poor maidservants… they were just _victims_ , Arthur. I cannot bear the thought of being the cause of their deaths.”

He hated that she was right, but Arthur was adamant, and he would want to try and talk some sense to his insensible council.

“I’ll... think of a plan,” she promised, his heart twisting in pain because he felt powerless as of the moment.

“Then what must I do?” Arthur beseeched, desperation on his face.

Slowly, she placed her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll think of a plan,” she promised once more, her eyes now hard with determination. “For now, stay strong, Arthur. For the both of us.”

* * *

It was nearing midnight but Arthur could not sleep. His meeting with Merlin in the dungeons a while ago kept on replaying in his mind, robbing him off from the sleep he most likely needed the most right now.

As he walked closer to his window, he watched below as most of his subjects were standing on the town square, demanding for the suspected witch to be burned at the stake. The news of Merlin’s possible true identity had run throughout the kingdom like a wildfire, and the people were paranoid. Arthur hated Uther for instilling such ridiculous ideas in his people, who were willing to sentence an innocent person to die due to their irrational fear.

Their silent vigil had made him restless, now resting his forehead against the cool windowpane. He was aghast of how things turned out. This was not part of the plan. He was supposed to marry the princess next week, to have more time with her to research on how they could go back to their own time and find their original counterparts, and perhaps spend more time with the girl he developed feelings for.

A soft knock from his door resounded in his room, and he uttered a soft acknowledgement. In came Agravaine, somber as he sauntered closer to the king. Just looking at his uncle made his blood boil, having this high suspicion that it was him behind this whole ordeal. Silently, Arthur berated himself for not listening to Merlin.

“How do you feel, sire?” Agravaine softly asked, eyes intently trained on the distressed king.

Arthur looked away from his uncle and sighed. “I would very much want to be alone, Agravaine,” he sternly ordered.

Silence followed his claim and Arthur actually thought that Agravaine followed his orders and left. But then, Arthur heard his footsteps while saying, “Do what your people is asking from you, Arthur.” King Arthur balled his fists, eyes still refusing to meet with his uncle’s. “Else, your credibility will be questioned and you will lose the respect of your people.”

“ _Meredith did not do anything wrong_ ,” he hissed, almost icily that the lord flinched with his tone. His wild eyes met Agravaine’s and he glared. “She is innocent.”

He was hoping against hope that this good-for-nothing bastard he calls himself lord would leave him alone. But Agravaine was adamant, and Arthur was growing more flustered with his audacity.

“I… apologize with how things turned out with you and the peasant,” he said, carefully choosing the words to say to the tumultuous king. “But Arthur, you must choose who to trust in this kingdom, especially because there are people who wish to bring your downfall.”

Arthur almost snarled at how incorrigible Agravaine was. Of course, he knew he shouldn’t trust people in this kingdom immediately. People like _Agravaine_. But he composed himself, and coolly looked at his uncle. “Thank you for your wise words, uncle,” he stonily said. “But, alas, I am tired. Please, I wish to be alone for the night.”

“Of course, sire,” he said, lightly bowing to bid him good night. “We need your decision soon, Arthur. Think carefully.”

He left the king, who was once more staring down at the vigil in the town square, and wondered what the Original Arthur would have done in this situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the late update. I was swamped with school work.
> 
> Things will escalate really quickly after this chapter. Stay tuned!


	23. Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Arthur had no choice, but Merlin insists she has a plan.

Gaius was not surprised Arthur barged into his room the next day.

Exhausted, he lifted his eyes and stared at the time traveler, his perpetually raised eyebrow now hiding behind his fringes. “What brings you here, sire?” he asked, standing up from his seat to address him with a silent bow. The Court Physician noted the dark bags under the eyes of the king and frowned. It seemed like Arthur was not able to get a good night’s sleep last night.

“Did… did Merlin talk to you?” he quizzed, his forehead creasing with worry.

“Indeed, she did,” Gaius replied. “She has a plan, Arthur.”

An exhausted sigh escaped from Arthur’s lips. “And you believed her?” he asked in exasperation.

The Court Physician pursed his lips, thinking about his ward’s future counterpart. When he visited Merlin a while ago, he cringed at her sight. Apparently, the guards did not hold themselves back whilst torturing the maiden. He secretly brought salves to ease her bruises and wounds, but the young sorceress stubbornly refused them, saying that it would be more suspicious if her wounds had started to heal. Reluctantly, he agreed and did not argue any further. Any suspicious moves from her would warrant more upheavals, and he did not want to burden her, nor King Arthur, any further.

She spoke of a plan she did not disclose to him. Her eyes were determined and steadfast, and despite her battered state, he believed her when she said she did. Gaius always believed in Merlin, whether it was his past and future self.

“I trust her, sire,” he then quietly quipped.

He watched in sympathy as Arthur sank on one of his benches, a strangled sob escaping from his lips. His shining eyes stared into Gaius’ concerned ones. “What must I do, Gaius?” he whispered in despair. “I… I can’t do anything. I’m the _king_ , damn it all!”

Gaius expelled a slow, tired sigh. Why was it misfortune always befell his ward? King Arthur? His old, tired heart could not handle these kinds of events anymore. While Arthur felt powerless as of this moment, what more does Gaius feel?

“You must stay put,” he sadly replied. “You must not act rashly, King Arthur.”

His words made Arthur’s face twist in pain, angrily glaring at Gaius. “I am _king_ ,” he snarled, a tear now rolling down from his face. “I must do something.”

Wordlessly, Arthur stood up from the bench and was about to stroll out of the room when Gaius stopped him with his words.

“Do not act rashly,” he repeated, this time with conviction. “Merlin will be hurt more.”

The king balled his hands into fists, his back still facing Gaius, before continuing his departure.

Once he was gone, Gaius plopped down on his seat and tiredly ran a hand through his face.

He hoped for the best.

* * *

The pyre was ready, wood and sticks haphazardly piled. A tall, erect stick stood at the middle, where Merlin would be tied to minutes from now.

Arthur stood stiffly in front of the pyre, his court and knights all gathered beside him. People had also now arrived and waited for the burning, looks and whispers exchanged among themselves. The Knights of the Round Table were somber for the day, and Arthur could see the tensed looks on their faces, too. Merlin had grown considerably close with his knights, and knowing that she would be burned any time now had distressed them. 

 _“You could have done something,”_ Gwaine hissed to him as they escorted him down to the town square. He was the most embittered of the lot, and Arthur did not even have the heart to defend himself.

The council, especially Agravaine, was putting a lot of pressure on him to order the burning of Merlin at the stake. The village folk were threatening to have a huge protest, vowing to burn their own houses down if Arthur did not burn Merlin instead.

He was faced with a difficult situation, of choosing his people over Merlin, and he’d be damned but he would have chosen Merlin any day. But when the prisoner heard of this threat, she was horrified and hysterically ordered for Arthur to follow their pleas.

 _“A monarch should always listen to his people,”_ she tearfully claimed, and Arthur left her, _angry_ that she was choosing those dastardly people over her welfare. If only they knew what a great sacrifice she would be doing for the sake of this kingdom.

“Arthur.”

He broke off from his reverie and turned around to face a crying Guinevere. Her face was twisted in pain and disbelief, her hands balled into fists. “Gwen,” he breathed, and he could see she took all the willpower she had not to snap at him.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?” she demanded. Arthur flinched at her question and looked away. “Meredith is _innocent_.”

“I know,” was his only reply.

A sob escaped from her lips and Gwen grabbed his wrists. Some of the knights held onto their hilts at her audacity, but Arthur raised a hand to stop them. He then looked at Gwen’s wide, tearful eyes, betrayal and hurt etched clearly on her face. “She loves you,” she claimed, knocking off some air from Arthur’s chest. “She loves you, and you do _this_.”

She then threw his hand away and swiveled around, tears now racking her body as she stomped away from him.

Her words rang loudly in his mind. _‘Love?’_ he thought, shakily looking back at the pyre. _‘That’s not possible. She does not. She_ could _not.’_ Their feelings for each other were established, but he never fancied himself into thinking that Merlin, the _Princess_ for heaven’s sake, would harbor strong enough feelings for a lowly bodyguard like him.

The whispers grew louder and he wildly looked around. Merlin was now being dragged towards the pyre, and Arthur’s jaw dropped at her form. Bruises and cuts covered almost all the visible skin on her body. The last time he visited her, she was dirtied and tired, but never like this. Anger burst into his heart, imagining the torture the knights might have done to her prior to her execution and he _vowed_ that whoever had done this would not live to see another day.

The whispers had now died down, followed by a tensed silence, as everybody in the town square watched the accused queen-to-be being tied around the pyre. Merlin’s eyes were heavy-lidded due to exhaustion and pain, her eyes now lazily sweeping around until they landed on Arthur’s face. Tears had now clouded her eyes and Arthur felt faint.

All eyes were now on him, waiting for their king to make a decision. But Arthur… Arthur wanted to be far away from here. He even shared his idea of snatching Merlin and running away from here with Gaius, but the Court Physician strictly told him that he would ruin anything that Merlin had planned.

But what was her plan? With her state right now, she looked like she could not even run away from the pyre if she had to. Those thoughts made him think of his stupid plan once more and, tempted, he took a step forward, but Agravaine’s heavy, calloused hand latched onto his arm.

He threw a dark glare at his direction, but his uncle was unfazed. “Your people are watching,” he coolly reminded. “Remember who you are.”

And he remembered who he was, _blast them all_. He remembered pledging his loyalty and service solely to Merlin, who was now about to be burned to death because he wasn’t doing anything. He remembered he was not King Arthur in the first place; he was _Bodyguard_ Arthur above all else. And as Bodyguard Arthur, Merlin’s safety mattered the most.

“Release me,” he said through gritted teeth. Agravaine, surprised, pulled his hand away.

Arthur turned his face towards Merlin once more and determinedly took a step, but Merlin vigorously shook her head for him to stop. The bodyguard was unfazed, his eyes never leaving Merlin’s form, and took few more hurried steps forward. The people around him were starting to shout protests once more, but he would not back down.

He was Bodyguard Arthur, and Princess Merlin was in danger.

Merlin’s tears increased, her eyes still beseeching for him to stop. “Stop,” she mouthed. “Stop. That is an order.”

His blasted principles forced him to stop. Merlin’s words were absolute and since she was a monarch, and him merely a lowly servant, he had no choice.

“Please,” he tearfully whispered. _‘I have to save you.’_

She gave him a sad smile and shook her head for the last time. Arthur’s legs finally gave away and he fell on his knees. He could hear the footsteps of his knights but he raised his hand to halt them in the process. Arthur lifted his eyes once more towards Merlin, and he hated himself all the more for being so powerless.

Some of the knights now took a step forward, with lighted torches in their hands. Arthur watched, horrified, as they lit the pyre. Merlin’s eyes were wide with fear and panic, but they never strayed away from his face.

 _“Don’t look at me,”_ her words whispered in his mind. _“Look away.”_

But he couldn’t.

Sobs tore away from his mouth as she finally became engulfed with the fire. The town square was deathly silent, more pronounced and solemn as the people watched the Great King of Camelot crumbled into pieces.

* * *

The shaken and petrified king was then brought into the Court Physician’s bedchambers hours after Merlin’s death. Arthur stubbornly refused to leave, his legs still on the ground as he watched the remnants of the pyre. He felt sick in the stomach, knowing that her body was somewhere mixed with the ashes, and he couldn’t move. It was only when night had befallen when Elyan and Leon made the decision of bringing King Arthur to Gaius.

Arthur knew how aghast his council was with his actions that were very much unlike him, but Arthur did not even care. He could not bear the thought of Merlin’s absence, of how he would face King Balinor and Queen Hunith with the news that the Crown Princess, their _daughter_ had passed away due to his incapacity. Silently, he wished they would just punish him with death.

“You must eat, sire,” Gaius said, offering a bowl of porridge at the tearful king, but Arthur merely turned his head away. Just the thought of food made him nauseous.  

The Court Physician sighed and placed the porridge aside. He then pulled a stool and sat down in front of Arthur. “Merlin would not like you acting like this, Arthur.”  

Arthur directed his eyes towards Gaius. “How could you be so calm, Gaius?” he snapped, noting the lack of tears in the old man’s face. “Merlin just _died_.”

Gaius flinched and looked away. Arthur could see the tired creases on his face and instantly felt guilty. “Merlin had a plan,” was all the Court Physician could offer.

King Arthur scoffed and stood up from his seat. “If death is part of her plan, then _damn_ her,” he growled, his hand itching to throw something in rage.

“You must be patient, my dear lad,” Gaius said. “If my ward tells she has a plan, then I believe that she has.”

* * *

Arthur refused any visitors for the following two days. His court, thankfully, did not bother him at all, respecting his need for privacy to mourn for the loss of his bride-to-be. Arthur was actually quite thankful for this, knowing that if Agravaine had shown that smug face to him, he would wipe it clean with his sword.

His frequent trips were merely to Gaius’ bedchambers to tend to his tired heart. Despite Gaius’ claim that Merlin had a plan, as days passed by, even the Court Physician seemed unconvinced with his words. There was no word from Merlin herself, and Arthur was growing more hysterical. If Merlin did have a plan, she would have reached out to them right now.

His mourning lasted for a week before one day, as he was resting in Gaius’ bedchambers, Merlin’s plan started to unfold.

Gaius was brewing potions for the King when a peculiar small owl came tapping at his windowpane. Darting a look at the fitfully slumbering king, Gaius walked towards his window to allow the owl’s entry. It came swooping inside, hooting noisily as it flew around Gaius’ head for a while before landing just beside his cauldron.

The Court Physician eyed the bird in suspicion. He was then surprised when it suddenly stuck out its right foot with a small parchment tied around this appendage. Gaius gingerly untied the letter from its claw. The owl nipped at his hand tenderly before swooping out of the window.

The old physician then unrolled the parchment, all the color draining from his face as he read its contents.

“Sire, sire,” he called, hastily shaking the king awake. Arthur’s eyes shot open and he sat up in surprise.

A wide grin was stretched on Gaius’ face, some tears at the corner of his eyes.

“It’s from Merlin.”

* * *

The letter was unsigned, with a neat handwriting asking them to go to the Darkling Woods at midnight, but both Arthur and Gaius knew where the letter came from.

Arthur’s heart was thudding wildly inside his ribcage as he and Gaius travelled into the forest. They waited for midnight to come before sneaking out of the castle to travel to the promised place. It was a relief they were unable to come across any Patrolling Knights. Nevertheless, if they ever did, Arthur knew they would not stop him since he was king.

Upon entering the forest, Arthur felt his anticipation grew. Whatever Merlin’s plan was, he wanted first and foremost to make sure that she was, without any doubt, very much alive. The letter they received could have been proof enough, but Arthur wanted to see her face-to-face. The desire was so great he even dismissed any thoughts that the letter could be fake, which Gaius had offered a while ago.

“I think… we can stop here,” Arthur finally said. There were no further instructions from the letter, just that they met the unsigned author in the Darkling Woods, and now that they were actually here, Arthur had no idea what to do next.

Gaius did not protest for he, too, had no inkling of what was to come. They dismounted from their horses and waited, with the king starting to pace to and fro.

“Arthur,” Gaius breathed, at the same time Arthur heard some hurried footsteps from afar.

He rested his hand on his hilt, just in case they were actually tricked, and squinted his eyes at the cloaked newcomer. The forest was dark, save from the light provided by the moon and the stars, and he waited in bated breath as the stranger finally removed his hood from his face.

Opposite them stood Princess Merlin, her eyes shining bright as she stared back at the king. Arthur took a sharp intake of breath, disbelieving that she was alive and did not burn back in the pyre. Just the sight of her brought myriads of emotions from his heart and he was at loss of what to do.

“H-how do we know it is you, Meredith?” asked the Court Physician himself, seeing that Arthur was too dumbstruck of her presence.

She gave them a watery smile, a small tear sliding down from her right eye. “I’m not Meredith,” she simply said. “I am Princess Merlin.”

That seemed to snap Arthur from his befuddlement for in three big strides, he was in front of her, and he had enveloped her into a tight hug. Merlin released more sobs and buried her face against Arthur’s chest whilst his hold tightened, disbelieving that it was actually her.

“B-but… how?” the king asked, looking down at her. “I-I saw you…” He could not bring himself to finish the sentence. Closing his eyes, he remembered the image of her burning form and shivered, his grip on her tightening as if she would be gone once more.

“I performed a little magic as they lighted the pyre,” she revealed, smiling gently behind him to Gaius. “The image that you saw of my dying… well, it was a mere illusion. Since all of you were distracted, I concealed myself and slipped away, hiding here in the Darkling Woods.”

“But, if I may ask,” Gaius started, “why did it take you almost a week to contact us?”

She sheepishly smiled and tried not to meet Arthur’s piercing stare. “W-while I was imprisoned, I received some… _wounds_ ,” she slowly started, careful in choosing her words. “I… err… I took care of myself first before revealing myself once more.”

Arthur angrily held her tighter. The fact that she had to ‘take care of herself’ for a week meant that her torture was severe. Once again, he was angered that he could not do anything to save her.

“It was not your fault,” she appeased, but Arthur was not comforted at all. As he stared down at her, he could still see some cuts and bruises that would somehow take time to heal. Gingerly, he touched one of her bruises, anger flaring when Merlin flinched under his touch. 

“I…” He buried his face in her tresses and took a deep breath. “I thought I lost you already.”

Merlin tearfully smiled and placed a kiss on his jaw. “I told you I had a plan,” she whispered. “You really should trust me more, Arthur Pendragon.”

In spite of himself, he grinned. Of course he did trust her, but that did not mean he would not worry himself to death over her welfare. She was, after all, the person he pledged his loyalty to.

“It was necessary for the Camelotians to see me die,” she continued, as Gaius shook his head in disbelief. “With that, I will not be hunted anymore.”

Arthur pulled away from her to look into her eyes.

“I still believe I was set-up since I am the future queen,” the princess continued, now determination in her glistening eyes. “I… expected this kind of intervention.” She sighed and pulled away from Arthur, a thoughtful look on her face. “This is actually a good opportunity for the both of us, Arthur. I plan to find more clues about the disappearance of Original Arthur and Merlin.”

“You’ll leave?” he asked, surprised.

She smiled. “I don’t think Camelot will like it very much if they saw their supposed queen-to-be alive,” she said, slight lilt in her tone. “I have to do this, Arthur. This is part of my plan, which was why I wanted to stage my death. And in the meantime, you continue playing your role as King and protecting Camelot from possible dangers she would face."

"With your absence, I’m afraid that will be close to futility,” Gaius gravely said.

“That is why I need to search Arthur and Merlin all the more,” she determinedly said. “We have stayed far too long in the past, Gaius. I think it is time to actually do something about their disappearances and at the same time seek for help to bring us back to the future.”

King Arthur grabbed her wrist to bring her attention back to him. “Must you go alone, Princess?” he asked, worried. “I can come with you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Arthur!” she exclaimed. “Camelot needs you more than I do right now.”

“But… I have to protect _you_.”

Princess Merlin smiled at him in disbelief. Fondly, she placed a hand against his cheek. “It will put my mind at ease if you stay in Camelot,” she told him. “I can take care of myself, Arthur. You must not worry.”

He answered with silence, and Merlin took that as his submission to her plan.

“I will contact you both immediately if I ever came across any leads regarding our missing legends,” she promised. “Perhaps, another owl, I’m not sure. For now, I will lie low and scour some of the neighboring lands, get to know people that can answer our questions.”

“You must be careful, Merlin,” Gaius said, offering her a worried smile.

“I will, I promise,” she said. Her eyes landed back at the silent Arthur and sighed. “Gaius… may we have a minute?”

The Court Physician darted a look at the king before nodding his head and walking away.

“Arthur,” she said, trying to reach for him, but he merely sighed.

“I don’t like this plan,” he honestly said, his forehead creased in worry. “I will not rest knowing that you’ll be in strange places without me.”

Merlin walked closer to her bodyguard and held both of his hand. “I can take care of myself,” she repeated once more.

“Oh, I know,” he said, giving her a weak smile. “But that does not make me feel better at all. In fact, I think you’ll be stupid and act rashly without thinking first.”

“Did you just insult your Crown Princess, Arthur Pendragon?” she playfully asked, a wide grin on her face. When he merely glared at her mirth, she shook her head, her grin now turning into a fond smile. “It is you I am worried about. Camelot is full of traitors, Arthur. You should watch out… especially Agravaine.” She bristled in anger just thinking about him. “Oh, especially _him_ , Arthur. Be careful.”

He nodded his head earnestly, his eyes now wide with worry.

“And do watch out for any magical creatures since you are such a magic magnet,” she continued, her grip on his hands tightening with every word. “I…” – her voice cracked with emotion – “I’d rather I go back home with you alive, you know.” Tears had now gathered in her eyes once more. Arthur pulled her to himself and trapped her in his arms again.

“I… I’m scared,” she finally whispered, confessing what she truly felt. Starting from her imprisonment to this secret rendezvous, Merlin tried her hardest to be brave. King Balinor always told her that monarchs like them should not show fear to their subjects. They were a beacon of hope, and for them to show fear would make them lose hope. And that should not happen at all.

But with her bodyguard here right now, Merlin felt anything but brave. All the fears she felt, from Agravaine, from the knights who tortured her, and for the future ahead… they just all came crashing down on her.

Arthur suddenly held her cheek and lifted her head up until her eyes met his. They were dark with fear, too, and Merlin thickly swallowed.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” he vowed, tenderly brushing her tears away. “Just… just be safe, Merlin. That is all I ask from you.”

She answered him by tiptoeing and giving him a gentle kiss on his lips.

“You know,” Arthur said, “seeing you in the pyre, I came to realize a lot of things, Merlin.”

Her heart thudded inside her ribcage, anticipation on her face.

“I think…” He paused, taking a sharp intake of breath. “J-just in case we never see each other anymore, I want you to know that I think I - ”

“ _No_ ,” she firmly said, cutting him off.

He looked at her in surprise as she shook her head vigorously.

“No,” she said once more, her eyes now beseeching. “Tell me when we see each other again.”

Arthur stared at her hard and long. Merlin already knew what he was going to say, because by gods, she also wanted to desperately say it. “All right,” he murmured, bending down for a kiss once more. “All right.”

Merlin then pulled away as she wore her hood over her head.

“I will wait for you, Merlin,” Arthur promised.

The princess nodded her head and gave him a smile.

“Until we meet again, Arthur.”


	24. In Their Midst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a traitor in their midst, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table plotted against him. 
> 
> Meanwhile, trouble seems to always find Merlin, even in a foreign land.

It seemed like Camelot did not wait for him to get over his mourning. As Arthur strode hastily in the corridors of the castle, he couldn’t help but glare at the parchments he was carrying. Numerous problems seemed to suddenly emerge, and the poor pretend king had no choice but to immediately attend to them.

Cholera was again rampant in the village. He took a mental note to appoint investigators to finally discover the source of infection. Seeing that they were in ancient times and people still had not discovered the luxury of modern loos and proper hygiene, Arthur had no doubt the source of the bacteria would be pinpointed immediately. Gaius would need more helpers to gather the ingredients for the cure too, and he took another mental note to order his manservant to gather volunteers.

Some protesters were still making quite a ruckus in the village. Apparently, Arthur’s display of emotions during Merlin’s burning had raised some suspicions from the avid followers of Uther. Patrolling Knights had now been increased, especially during at night, to appease these ridiculous troublemakers.

 _‘Seriously,’_ Arthur thought, dreading the growing throbbing in his temples. _‘A week has still not passed!’_

His lips magnetized down, wondering where the princess was as of this moment. Despite the reassurance she offered and the plan she shared with him and Gaius, Arthur could still not help himself but to worry for the welfare of Merlin. She still had not sent any letters or any form of proof that she was still alive, and Arthur couldn’t help but conjure worst case scenarios in his mind. He was thankful that the Court Physician was a constant optimist, assuring the king that Merlin might still not deem it necessary to send a letter for her whereabouts.

Sighing, the king went back to the pile of documents he had to review. Sir Geoffrey currently requested for his presence in the Royal Library due to a bothersome problem regarding the books and termites.   

“Sire.”

King Arthur shifted his eyes from the parchments and focused them on the newcomer. He had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from scowling as Agravaine stood opposite him. People were still tiptoeing around him ever since Merlin’s ‘death’, and Arthur actually welcomed the sudden solitude he had. But he knew, sooner or later, people must start approaching him once more to address the issues in the castle and the kingdom as a whole. Agravaine, though, was not exactly the most wanted right now.

“Uncle,” he finally addressed back as Agravaine started to fidget under his gaze. “What brings you here?”

Agravaine seemed to think for a while, and Arthur dreaded whatever comes out from his mouth. He had been wary of his uncle ever since the fiasco with Merlin and pyre, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that Agravaine really had something to do with Merlin’s accusations.

“The preparations for the royal wedding were put on hold ever since Meredith…” His voice faltered as Arthur visibly stiffened. He could not believe the _nerve_ of him to bring up Merlin’s death. Well, she did not exactly die but Agravaine did not _exactly_ know that. Despite the lessening of the pain in his heart, Arthur could still not accept how unfairly her case was handled. “The council and Madame Brenda are already wondering as to what to do with these?”

King Arthur frowned. “There’s no wedding now, isn’t there?” he snapped, prompting Agravaine to raise his eyebrows in surprise. “I think the most logical thing to do is to stop it all together.” He gestured at his parchments. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I am needed in the library.”

He made a move to turn around, but Agravaine was not finished.

“The council wishes for you to look for another bride,” the lord continued, halting him in his steps. “The kingdom has spent too much already for the preparations and it will be a waste to just stop it. Sir Blythe believes it would be more economical to search for a new bride than to cease all the preparations.”

“ _Blast_ Sir Blythe!” Arthur roared, turning around to face his uncle. “How _dare_ you suggest such ridiculous things when a week still has not passed ever since Meredith’s death!”

He was seething, his cheeks already flared up with anger. He could not believe Agravaine. He could not believe his council. How could they not see that the king was mourning?

Lord Agravaine seemed unfazed, though. “I understand, Arthur, I completely do,” he offered as comfort, but Arthur couldn’t help himself but to roll his eyes from his obvious lie. “But Arthur, you must think about your people above all else. The spectacle you showed during the burning…” He stared hard and long at Arthur. “Some of your people did not take it lightly, sire.”

“I don’t care what they think,” he spat back.

“You are king, for heaven’s sake!” Agravaine replied in exasperation. “It is not hard to find for a new bride. The kingdom needs a Queen. Do this, Arthur, please. Your people must be appeased… must be reassured that their king is not foolish enough to fall for a sorceress.”

Something inside him snapped. Arthur angrily threw his parchments away and took a few menacing steps closer to his uncle. It gave him some satisfaction to see Agravaine flinch a little.

“I _loved_ her,” he proclaimed through gritted teeth. Agravaine’s eyes dangerously flashed, but Arthur did not give him a chance to speak. “All I am asking is for you to respect that, _uncle_. Because breaking news!” He pointed a finger at his chest. “This foolish king you speak of did indeed fall in love with the sorceress.”

The lord was deeply affronted as Arthur took a few steps back and turned away from him. He silently gathered the papers on the floor then straightened up. Before Arthur could completely stride away, he said, “Cease all the preparations. I will think of another plan on how to pay back for the money that was used up for the royal wedding.”

He then proceeded to walk away, leaving a dumbstruck Agravaine behind.

* * *

Gaius could not help but to dart curious looks at the silent king.

Arthur had burst into his room a few hours ago, seemingly seething, but the king did not say anything. Gaius had left him alone in his thoughts, knowing that Arthur would be too distracted to even talk to him. Besides, the outbreak of cholera in the kingdom had made his hands full. His old, rickety hands were already smarting from chopping and mixing the ingredients for the cure. He wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

As he was bottling the last batches of his potion, curiosity got the better of him.

“Is something the matter, dear boy?” the Court Physician asked, setting the potions aside.

King Arthur sighed, speaking for the first time. “What do you think of Agravaine, Gaius?” he inquired.

The old physician did not honestly expect that question. He thought that perhaps he was once again thinking about Merlin. “Agravaine, sire?” he asked.

Arthur nodded his head.

Now that he thought about it, Agravaine was _suspicious_. The moment he stepped into Camelot to become the trusted advisor to the king, Gaius couldn’t shake off the feeling that Arthur’s uncle might have an ulterior motive. But then again, anybody who steps in Camelot most likely have one.

“I apologize, but I have not really thought about him,” he lied.

The king seemed not to buy his answer though. “You know, ever since Merlin’s fake death, there was something about Agravaine that makes me… _uncomfortable_.” Arthur paused and made a face, already standing up to pace.

“Suspecting him would have dire results in the end if they are false, Arthur,” Gaius warned.

King Arthur gave him a pointed look. “I’m sure you do not trust him fully, too,” he said. Gaius merely answered him with silence, which was all Arthur needed. “Merlin had been feeling queasy around Agravaine ever since we arrived here.”

He sighed and plopped back down on his seat. “I just… I don’t understand why I can’t _remember_ him,” he exclaimed in exasperation, running a hand through his blond hair. “I thought I clearly remembered everything, but thinking about Agravaine gives me that frustrating fog again.”

Gaius could not really understand what Arthur was saying, but kept quiet with his distress.

“One thing is for sure, though,” Arthur continued. “Merlin was set-up.” The Court Physician found himself nodding in agreement. Ever since Merlin’s imprisonment up to her burning at the stake, he also could not shake off that feeling. “Merlin’s accusation for witchcraft could signify a traitor in our midst and I have to find _him_.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” Gaius asked, dubious.

King Arthur was silent for a while.

“I’ll think of a plan.”

* * *

“Well, this is as far as I can help you.”

Merlin brightly smiled and jumped off from a cartful of hay. “I am forever indebted to you, Charles,” she said, even humoring the kind, old man with a graceful curtsy of her own. “Thank you.”

The farmer chuckled and tipped his straw hat. “Of course, milady,” he said. Merlin’s smile widened as she straightened herself once more and gave him a wave for goodbye. “Be careful, though. Even if you do not wish to tell me why a young lass like you is wandering around, I still think it is rightful to tell you that there are numerous bandits scattered about. You should take care of yourself and I hope you find what you are seeking.”

The princess nodded her head earnestly. “Thank you for your kindness, Charles, really,” she gushed. “Take care of yourself, too!”

Farmer Charles waved his hand goodbye and proceeded to leave with his horse and his cart. Merlin watched him until he disappeared in the horizon. With him gone, she was now at loss of what to do.

Merlin had been travelling for almost a day and her feet were already sore. The bravery she showed towards Arthur and Gaius during their rendezvous in the Darkling Woods was dwindling, as was the food and water that she was carrying. Having walked aimlessly for hours made her tired and weary, and although she claimed she had a plan to search for their original counterparts, she had no idea where to start.

Along the way she met the kind, old farmer and allowed her to travel with him on his cart. Charles was a breath of fresh air, and he even gave her some of his bread and water since he was nearing home. _“I think you need them more than I do, lass,”_ was his retort when she protested.

The grumbling of her stomach made her frown, now wildly looking at the small town she was brought to. From what Charles told her, she was in the Kingdom of Rheghed. It was miles and miles away from Camelot and she thought it was a good way to start. After all, wherever Original Arthur and Merlin were kidnapped would be far away from Camelot, right?

 _‘Yeah, right, Merlin,’_ she thought, begrudgingly trudging into the town square. The future queen felt so ashamed, acting rashly without planning first her strategies on where and how to rescue Original Arthur and Merlin. In her defense, she was in the brink of dying, and any plan seemed logical, whether rash or not.

 _‘I miss you, father,’_ she forlornly thought, distractedly moving aside as a herd of donkeys galloped through the narrow streets. King Balinor would know what to do, whatever the situation was. He always had a plan, an _effective_ one, that would save modern Albion from turmoil and continue its prosperity. Secretly, she wondered if she would ever become like her father.

Merlin decided to stay in an inn for the night, actually missing the feel of a mattress underneath her while she slept. Arthur gave her a handful of pounds before she left for her adventure. She had partitioned the heavy coins in her small bag, in her dress, even in her shoes, knowing that bandits were rampant. It wouldn’t do her some good if the coins she had would be snatched from her single-handedly.

A passable inn came into view and Merlin walked inside. The strong smell of roast and alcohol greeted her. Scrunching her nose, she walked towards the receptionist. A frail-looking lady greeted her with a small smile as she approached. “How may I help you?” she rasped out, voice coarse with age.

“One room, please,” Merlin replied, fishing out some coins from her dress.

“How long will you stay?” the owner continued, turning her back around as she snatched a key from one of the numerous hooks placed on the wall.

The princess thought for a moment. “Err… indefinitely, perhaps, Miss -?”

“Call me Imelda.”

“Yes, Imelda,” Princess Merlin continued.

Imelda walked back to the counter and gave her a key. “Hmm, indefinitely,” she said, eyeing her curiously. Merlin felt conscious under her scrutiny, absentmindedly hiding the engagement ring Arthur gave her. The ring was now strung with a chain around her neck. She believed it was far more expensive than the pounds she was carrying and it would not do her any good if people she met would see the ring she carried.

The action though did not escape the old woman’s prying eyes and she smiled. “Running away?” she inquired, prompting her to color her cheeks.

“Something like that, yes,” Merlin replied hastily.

Imelda continued to look at her thoughtfully. “Indefinitely, it is,” she finally said, scribbling down on a parchment beside her. “Five pfennings a night, but if you want meals to be brought up to you, a schilling will suffice.”

Merlin frowned. Arthur had given her pounds for her travel. She could remember Professor Leech’s lesson on medieval currency, and she swore that pounds were mostly carried by rich people. Fishing out one pound from her dress, she wondered if it would be more than enough. “I’ve got a pound, is this enough?” she said, placing the coin on the counter.

Imelda’s eyes almost popped out from her sockets. “Well, it is _more than_ enough,” she said, grabbing the coin and inspecting it against the light. “It’s enough to last you here in this inn for almost a month!”

“Oh, well then, I’ll be taking the room with meals please,” Princess Merlin said, mentally thanking Arthur for giving her enough money for her to survive.

The owner vigorously nodded her head. “Of course, of course,” she said. Craning her neck, she hollered, “Henry!”, and a young lad, way younger than Merlin was, came bustling in. “Direct this generous lady to her room. Come on, hurry!”

The boy offered to bring her bag and Merlin forego it with a smile. “Thank you,” she said, prompting the boy to blush.

“Your dinner will be brought soon, miss,” Imelda said.

“Call me Meredith,” Merlin replied. “I think I’ll be staying here for a while.”

* * *

Three days had passed and Merlin still aimlessly wandered the streets of Rheghed. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

The princess had tried to strategize for days but to no avail. Clues for Arthur and Merlin’s whereabouts were just severely lacking and she did not know where to start. All she had was that persistent dream of an icy room with her counterpart trapped inside, and it was not helpful at all.

 _‘Pave my path to you, please,’_ was her silent prayer to Original Merlin every night before going to sleep. The dreams had stopped, much to her frustration. Now that she was willing to pay more attention to her dreams, they wouldn’t arrive. Merlin just hoped that the fates above have brilliant plans for her… that eventually, she would find her way to Arthur and Merlin.

During lazy afternoons she would stroll the streets of Rheghed, comparing it with magnificent Camelot. The poverty was more pronounced, and although there were still poor people back in Camelot, they were considerably healthier and perhaps happier. Rheghed was dreary and solemn, the people hungry but without any generous ears to listen to their pleas. These afternoon walks always made her furious in the end, wondering what those privileged prats on their thrones were doing while ignoring their people.

 _‘I miss Camelot,’_ she thought with a sigh. Now that she thought about it, King Arthur was a wise and good leader, always listening to his people even though it was against his will. _‘I miss you, Arthur.’_ The last thought was coupled with a forlorn smile. She wondered what her bodyguard was doing right now and also fervently prayed that Agravaine and his council were not giving him a hard time.

“HELP US!”

Merlin’s head whipped around in surprise. A ruckus outside a small tavern caught her attention and hastily, she walked closer. The sight that she beheld prompted her to pale, eyes wide as she watched about ten women imprisoned inside a wooden cage. Wails of help escaped from their lips, and Merlin wildly looked around if someone was bound to help them. To her astonishment, the people had their heads bowed and seemed to avoid the cage as much as possible.

Already sick in the stomach, Merlin had this inkling this was not an unusual occurrence in Rheghed.

Merlin searched around once more. Whoever was responsible for the cage was nowhere to be found. The princess hastily approached the cage, prompting the women to wail louder.

“Help us!” they cried, their bound wrists clutched tightly on the cage as they watched Merlin with wide eyes.

“Shh!” she exclaimed, bringing a finger to her lips. A large, metal lock with chains bound the cage and Merlin knew that their only way out was through  _magic_. Princess Merlin hesitated for a while. Although Camelot was the kingdom most vocal against magic and witchcraft, she knew she could not risk being exposed as a sorceress. She escaped from the pyre back in Camelot, but that did not mean she was willing to undergo such punishments once more.

 _‘Come on, Merlin!’_ a voice inside her head exclaimed. Sighing, she looked around once more, knowing that she had no other choice. It was herself or the ten, poor women inside. There really was no competition here.

Directing her eyes at the lock, Merlin racked her brain for the right spell to use. _‘I really should study again,’_ she thought, finally coming up with the right spell.

“ _Tos –_ ”

Before she could even finish the incantation, a hard object collided against the back of her head. Screams from the women inside deafened her ears. She heard a distinctive cackle behind her before everything turned black.

* * *

Arthur waited with bated breath, eyes trained intently on the palace gates, as a cloaked Agravaine stealthily stalked inside.

They had followed the lord with his rendezvous, suspiciously slipping out at night. It was a few minutes past midnight, and Arthur heard from Leon that his uncle had travelled out of the castle once more. Ever since Merlin’s burning at the pyre, the king had kept a close eye at Agravaine. With a new suspicious activity from his uncle, Arthur gathered his most trusted Knights of the Round Table and followed him.

It turned out he was meeting with _Morgana_ and that was when Arthur saw red. He pieced two and two together. Who else would covet his crown so much? It would be logical for Morgana to do anything that could hinder Merlin from ascending to the throne.

“That bastard - !”

Gwaine was pinned down by the other knights, but the burly man tried to break free. Looking at his knights now, Arthur could see that they too felt betrayed by Agravaine, especially because it was _him_ that had caused Merlin’s death.

“He is not worth it,” Arthur morosely murmured as soon as Agravaine disappeared back into the castle.

The king ushered them back until they were in the castle. His solemn knights diligently followed until Arthur arrived in Gaius’ bedchambers. The Court Physician’s room was steadily becoming the place for secret meetings such as this. Not that Gaius was complaining, but a roomful of muscled men felt very restricting for the old man.

His knights were seated on the benches as they watched Arthur frantically pace. The king could still not believe that his uncle was the traitor. He had speculations, of course, but for it to be actually confirmed… he was reeling. At the same time, the fog that seemed to envelop Agravaine every time Arthur thought about him was suddenly lifted. Images of a smug Agravaine, standing beside Morgana, all became clear to him. King Arthur wondered if, had he known about Agravaine’s motives in the first place, Merlin would be spared.

 _‘You deliberately made me forget about him!’_ he accused in exasperation to no one. He had this inkling that forgetting Agravaine was all part of fate’s plan to become successful.

“Arthur,” Gaius finally said, cutting him off from his angry thoughts. “We have to think of a plan.”

“Of course,” he snapped, wild eyes looking at all the people in the room. “I think we already established that it was his doing why Meredith…” He let his words falter, fuming at how he was being manipulated, of how _Merlin_ was being manipulated by god-knows-what. “But for now, we have to stay put.”

Percival made a move to protest, but Arthur raised a hand. “Meredith’s death is still fresh in our hearts, but we have to _stay put_ ,” he reiterated, putting more emphasis on his last words. “In the meantime, I want you to keep a closer eye on Agravaine. Report to me whatever behavior he exhibits and any activities that he does. I’ll… I’ll think of a plan."

His knights earnestly nodded, faces grave with the revelation.

“We will avenge Meredith’s death, Arthur,” Gwaine quietly murmured, mourning thick in the tone of his voice. Arthur offered him a small smile. Among all his knights, Gwaine was the most affected with his future bride’s pretend death.

“No, not avenge,” King Arthur said with a sad smile. “One thing I learned from Morgana is that hate can corrupt one’s heart. We will not avenge Meredith’s death, but we will do our utmost to protect Camelot so that her death will not be in vain. Will you stay by my side?"

Gwaine stiffly stood up and bowed his deepest. “It is an honor to serve you until the end, your highness,” he earnestly said.

The other knights followed suit and Arthur, hope in his heart, vowed to his original counterpart that Camelot will be safe from harm until he was found. 


	25. Northumbria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin feels a lot of strange, inexplicable power in Northumbria.

Merlin noticed three things as soon as she woke up.

First, she was having a splitting headache. Second, she was now sporting a dress that was way too provocative for this era and her mother would allow her to wear. And lastly, she was chained, together with the other girls she was trying to save a while ago, in a wooden cage.

Cheeks flaring in anger and embarrassment, Merlin wildly looked around. They were in some kind of a room. Possibly somewhere uninhabited due to the dilapidated walls, frightening amounts of cobwebs and rickety floors. The air was putrid with sweat and other things she did not want to know. Sniffles could be heard from the other women trapped with her, but there were roars of laughter from outside the cage.

Blinking, Merlin scooted closer to the wooden railings to peek. She could make out the faces of two burly men standing guard, talking between themselves. She guessed they were probably the ones who chained her inside this wooden cage. Sighing, Merlin had to roll her eyes at how ridiculous her situation was. She was annoyed that even in the ancient times, she was a favorite subject for kidnappings.

Merlin could make out a group of different men of different statuses. Some wore grand clothes that could even match King Arthur’s and his riches. Others wore armors, boasting their swords and with emblems of families she could not recognize. Others wore a peasant garb, and with a sinking feeling, Merlin had this idea where she was.

She made a face at her gaudy, provocative clothes, as she scooted away from the railings. She refused to think of any possible means as to how her clothes were changed. Cheeks flaring with embarrassment once more, Merlin crawled to the closest girl she could talk to.

“Where are we?” she asked under her breath, her eyes trained intently on the two men guarding their cage.

“I… I don’t know, Mercia, I think,” the frightened girl replied, haphazardly wiping her tearstained face. She was quite possibly of the same age as Princess Merlin, with strawberry red hair and green eyes. 

Merlin frowned and looked around, mentally noting that there were only four people, including her, left inside the cage. “Are they… are they _selling_ us?” she demanded, horrified.

As if on cue, the railings were opened and one of the girls at the far corner of the cage was dragged out. Her screams were chilling and Merlin made a move to save her, but the girl beside her latched onto her arm to stop the angry princess. “Do you want to die?!” she shrilly whispered, darting terrified looks at the burly guards.

The princess sighed and glared lightly at her. “If they sold us to those _bastards_ ,” – she jutted a thumb towards their audience – “we surely will be.”

The girl paled at her statement and looked away from her glare.

Merlin sighed once more, her features mellowing. “Look, I’m Meredith, and I promise I’ll get us out of here,” she promised with a small smile.

She warily looked at the princess. “H-how?” she asked, shooting more furtive looks towards the guard.

“Trust me, -?”

“Emily,” she whispered. “Call me, Emily.”

The railings were opened once more and the girl, Emily, nervously stuck closer to Merlin. One of the guards, glanced leerily around the cage. His eyes lingered on Merlin for a while, but the princess glared, and he grinned, showing off his unsightly set of yellow teeth.

“You,” he grumbled, pointing his finger at the other girl in the cage. “C’mere.”

The poor, frightened girl whimpered and cowered, prompting the man to sigh. He climbed inside the cage and dragged her by her ankle, with the girl shrieking loudly.

“HEY!” Merlin exclaimed, but he merely cackled and locked the railings once more.

“Oh blast, oh blast, oh blast,” Emily cried, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. “We’re done for! I am sorry, Mama. I am so, so sorry.”

The princess desperately looked for a route for escape. Their cage was in the middle of the room, permitting eyes to freely wander to their cage. The cage was locked firmly, and the two guards were still standing side-by-side in front. At the far left of the room was a door, and if only Merlin could think of a way wherein she, and Emily, could exit from this awful place.

“Trust me, Emily,” she whispered, directing her eyes at the lock once more. Before a burst of magic could escape her, the door was opened once more, the lewd man back inside.

“Now, which of you should I choose?” he asked, eyes greedily roaming over Emily and Merlin. The former cowered behind Merlin with the princess putting a protective arm around the frightened girl.

“Take me instead,” Merlin bravely said, lifting her chin if he dared to defy her.

The man released that horrible cackle once more. “Feisty are we?” he asked, crawling closer the duo. He was thoughtful for a while, before grabbing hold of Emily’s ankle. The redhead trashed and screamed help, but the man was too strong and Merlin couldn’t help but to let go of the frightened girl.

“Save the best for last, eh?” the henchman exclaimed, throwing a lewd wink towards Merlin’s direction.

Shivering in disgust, she threw the darkest glare she could muster. Emily was brought at the center of the room, and Merlin watched, disgusted and horrified, as the greedy men’s eyes drank her form. Her auctioning started, Emily’s bid steadily increasing as various men fought to buy her.

While they were busy auctioning Emily, Merlin once again focused her attention at the lock. “ _Tospringe_ **[1]**.” Her eyes turned gold as the lock was opened with a soft click. Thankfully, the two henchmen were too entertained with the auction that was happening to notice that the last girl to sell off was in fact a sorceress.

This time, Merlin directed her eyes at the ceiling. “ _Cleof ahríes_ **[2]** ,” she muttered. A loud rumble was heard from above, cracks now appearing from the ceiling, before huge rocks came tumbling down. This caused a huge ruckus in the small auctioning room, prompting loud shouts from the men.

“ _Sál, bindan híe_ **[3]** ,”, she exclaimed, hands directed towards the two men. Instantly, ropes appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around the hands of the henchmen guarding her cage. Shouts of exclamation and surprise escaped from their mouths and Merlin took that opportunity to forcefully open her cage and knock the two brutes down. Strings of obscenities escaped from their lips as Merlin hopped down from the cage and blindly dashed through the falling debris.

“EMILY!” she exclaimed, rushing forward and grabbing the left arm of the petrified redhead. “ _Forþeccan ús_ **[4]** ,” she cried, an instant dome-shaped shield forming around her and Emily. Princess Merlin then immediately pulled Emily to the exit door, and with a loud bang, she and Emily ran out of the godforsaken place. Merlin muttered another spell that caused the collapse of the whole building, much to the surprise of her companion.

“You’re…”

Merlin placed a finger against her lips. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell anybody,” she then said, nervously tugging Emily away from the destroyed place. “I… I don’t mean any harm, I promise.”

Emily wordlessly nodded as Merlin continued to pull her away as far as they could. They finally stopped as the shouts ceased and the house was too small for them to see. Emily’s knees collapsed and she half-sobbed, half-laughed in relief.

Princess Merlin gently smiled and crouched down in front of her. “We’re safe,” she claimed. “You’re safe.” Although she saved one, Merlin couldn’t shake off the feeling of remorse upon leaving the other women that were trapped inside the auction house.

To her surprise, Emily threw her arms around Merlin and hugged her tight. “T-thank you,” she tearfully whispered, prompting Merlin to smile. “Gods, I will never, _ever_ , defy my mother’s orders anymore.”

* * *

King Arthur found himself once more in the Court Physician’s bedchambers.

The stress of Merlin’s pretend-death and Agravaine’s apparent betrayal was taking its toll on him already. Going to Gaius was a comfort, partly because the old physician was the one who knew everything about his predicament and he could drop his pretense as a king for a while.

The Knights of the Round Table were already pestering him to act towards Agravaine’s treason. Arthur knew he should be planning now. He couldn’t shake off this imminent danger looming over Camelot. Agravaine’s disappearances at night were becoming frequent and Arthur did not have to follow him to know where he was going. But, for some strange reason, he had this gut feeling that acting right now was _too early_. His meetings with his most trusted knights were becoming frequent, too, and they already came up with a sound strategy, which he fervently hoped would be effective once they were put into action.

In addition to the Agravaine predicament was Arthur’s longing to see Merlin once more. Perhaps, another reason why he frequented the Court Physician’s bedchambers was because Princess Merlin’s memories were abundant in this room. His eyes would constantly magnetize towards her room, somehow hoping that she would suddenly arrive and flash that brilliant smile of hers again.

But then again, the image of a pyre and a princess as a fugitive would flash in his mind’s eye, and he would be forlorn once more. With a disappointed sigh, he wondered what Merlin was doing already.

“Moping will not bring her back, sire,” Gaius suddenly proclaimed, lifting his eyes from the bubbling cauldron. Upon seeing his frown, he shook his head and tutted. “If Merlin sees you right now, I am sure she will not be particularly happy, Arthur.”

He crumpled on the table, placing his chin on top of his arms. He sighed once more and completely broke free from his mask of composure. He could not take the pressure placed upon his knights, the hurt he felt of Agravaine’s betrayal, and the gnawing worry with Merlin’s adventure. It was a miracle he could still pretend to be calm in the presence of all these stressors in his life.

“It’s been a week, Gaius,” he murmured in a muffled tone, head buried between his arms. “There’s still no letter.”

The physician was silent for a while, and Arthur thought he was back to ignoring him and focusing on his potions once more. But Gaius, as gently as he could, replied, “She can take care of herself, Arthur.”

“Oh, I know that,” he snapped in irritation. “But that does not mean I can't worry myself sick! I am her _bodyguard_ , for heaven’s sake. I should be with her right now.”

“But you heard her, Arthur,” Gaius said. “You are needed here, and I am positive she wanted you to continue assuming your role.”

All King Arthur did was sigh once more, mentally cursing this _destiny_ that had put him and Merlin in this kind of situation in the first place.

“Do not worry, lad,” Gaius urged, walking closer to Arthur. “I am quite sure things will return to how it was before.”

It was a poor excuse of a reassurance and he and Gaius knew that. But, in spite of himself, Arthur smiled. It was the only assurance that Gaius could offer in this strange and complicated situation really. He just wished that the return Gaius spoke of will come sooner than later.

* * *

“Well, we’re here!” Emily cheerfully proclaimed as she hopped down from the cartful of hay. Merlin smiled and followed suit, thanking the kind farmer with a smile.

Blinking her eyes, Merlin’s gaze swept all throughout the small town of Wells in Northumbria. Turned out that Emily was from here. Thankfully, Northumbria was near Mercia; hence, they were able to travel for a full day. Merlin’s bottom and legs were already stiff with disuse from riding the cart, and she just wanted to rest.

Her sudden abduction by the disgusting henchmen had left her almost broke. She was thankful for being clever enough to partition her pounds in case situations like these arose. Princess Merlin couldn’t help but feel irritated with the waste she left back in her inn.

 _“You can come with me, if you like,”_ Emily offered to her when Merlin revealed that she was merely a traveler with no clear destination in mind. The princess revealed that she was on a mission, but at a loss of what to do and where to go next, and the redhead chirpily told her to start with Northumbria.

It was a fairly far kingdom from Camelot, and Merlin wondered if the lost king and his manservant could have wandered off to this place and hid.

There was an undeniable energy she felt upon stepping foot in this town. Her magic was going haywire; her gut feeling positively strong, and Merlin had this inkling she was near.

“Come, Meredith!” Emily exclaimed, clutching the arms of the dumbfounded sorceress and pulling her. Merlin smiled at the happy redhead, reckoning that despite the traumatizing event that she had to undergo, the young maiden was actually a cheerful person. Once again, she couldn’t help but think dark nothings about the henchmen and those greedy men she witnessed a day ago, knowing that they could have corrupted such a happy soul to satiate their appetites.

As Emily pulled her, Merlin’s eyes roamed around the small town. The people here were considerably healthier than in Mercia, and their bustling business was reminiscent of Camelot. People greeted Emily along the way and they were eyeing her with curiosity. Such was the smallness of the town that any newcomer would already be identifiable by the townspeople.

The redhead finally brought her to a small house with stone walls and a red roof. Emily took a sharp intake of breath first, nervously shot a look at Merlin, before raising her fist to knock.

The door was opened and Merlin blinked, wondering how it was opened when no person greeted them.

“Millie!” a voice exclaimed from below, and Merlin looked down. Apparently, a boy, probably in his third year of life, was the one who opened the door. The princess couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked. Merlin had always wanted little siblings like him, but for some reason, King Balinor and Queen Hunith deemed it enough to have her as their child.

 _“You’re quite a handful,”_ Hunith told her once when she asked, humor in her voice. Smiling at the memory, Merlin knew that the queen was merely half-joking.

“Oh, Johnny, I thought I would never see you again!” Emily tearfully asked, bringing the child into her arms. She turned around to look at Merlin. “Say hi to my new friend, Meredith.”

The boy shyly lifted his small, chubby hand to give her a small wave. Warmth pooled in Merlin’s heart, unable to suppress a soft ‘aww’, and waved back. Children always had this special place in her heart. Back home, most of the charities she attended to were those of orphaned children, and she had grown to love each and every one of them.

“Johnny, who was at the door?” a voice suddenly exclaimed from inside. Then, a woman, probably in her middle ages, came into view. She had the same red hair that Emily sported and she guessed that the woman was probably her mother. Upon seeing her daughter, the woman stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.

Tears pooled in Emily’s eyes, placing a wriggling Johnny back on the floor. “Mama,” she croaked, voice already raw with emotion.

Anger first flashed in her mother’s eyes, but it was quite brief. Relief soon flooded and she pulled the girl into her arms. “You insolent brat,” she said, lacking the angry tone in her voice, “how many times do I have to tell you not to stray too far from the forest?”

The young redhead sniffled and vigorously nodded her head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she sputtered. “I won’t do it again.”

Merlin fidgeted, uncomfortable with the displayed sight in front of her. She felt like she was intruding with such a heart-warming reunion between mother and daughter.

At the same time, Emily’s mother noticed her. She pulled away from her daughter and questioningly looked at Merlin.

“Oh, Mama, this is Meredith,” Emily said, smiling through her tears. “She was the one who saved me from those goons with her ma” – she was cut off by Merlin’s hard stare – “with her _might_.” She sheepishly grinned as Merlin expelled a soft sigh. “She has nowhere to go as of now and err… I offered for her to stay here for a while.”

Her mother was dubious for a while, shooting a glare at her child. Merlin stepped forward and cleared her throat. “Madam,” she started, “I promise not to be a burden to you and your family.” She gave a grin down at Johnny, who quickly scurried behind the legs of his mother. “I can… I can do chores for your family, as payment.” Emily’s mother was still hesitant, but Merlin was desperate. “Please, just for a few days, madam. I will be off before you even know it.”

For a while, she assessed the princess. Merlin felt nervous under the gaze of the older woman that looked so much like Emily's. Finally, she offered her a small smile and nodded. “Call me Maria,” she then said, ushering them inside.

“Thank you,” Merlin said, relieved. “I promise not to be a burden.”

“I will be partly responsible if she is,” Emily cheerfully piped in, earning her an eye roll from her mother.

Once they were inside, Merlin was met with the warmth of a home. She could remember the small abode her original counterpart lived with his widowed mother, Hunith. Despite the stark difference between the castle and Original Merlin’s house, the latter was still much warmer because it was _home_. Merlin felt nostalgic all of a sudden.

“Our house is not much, but we do love each other,” Emily said with a grin upon seeing Merlin’s face. “Your family might be missing you right now, Meredith.”

She gave her a sad smile. “I hope so,” the princess murmured, the faces of the king and queen swimming in her memory.

“You can stay with Emily in her room while you are staying here,” Maria then said. “Please do make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you,” Merlin voiced out once more. “I really appreciate this.”

“Come, I’ll show you to our room,” Emily said, pulling Merlin once more. With a smile, Merlin obliged and knew she would adjust in this home immediately and would miss this if she had to gom

* * *

**[1] _Tospringe_  - Open quickly **

**[2] _Cleof ahríes_ \- Rock, fall down **

**[3] _Sál, bindan híe_ – Ropes, bind them **

**[4] _Forþeccan ús_ – Shield us **


	26. An Unlikely Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter a strange, familiar person.

Agravaine’s form emerged out from the hovel and Arthur took that as a cue.

Finally, Arthur thought it would be the right time to reveal to his uncle that they knew he was a traitor. He had gathered the Knights of the Round Table and told them of his strategy. They were to follow Lord Agravaine, knowing that he would once again go to Morgana’s hovel. The knights would then disperse, with Arthur and Leon on the look-out for Agravaine’s departure, while the others spread around the hovel in case Morgana tried to flee. He knew of Morgana’s power, of course, but this was the only way. They had been trying to seek for the High Priestess for ages, and Arthur had this horrible inkling she would slip away once more, especially because they had no sorcerer (or sorceress, for that matter), that would aid them to her arrest.

The knights had not questioned him, knowing that they should trust their king, but Gaius voiced out his doubts to him on the day before the attack.

 _“You, or your knights, do not have the power to capture Morgana, Arthur,”_ he gravely told him, eyes dark with grim worry. _“I am sure you are aware of that.”_

 _‘But this is the only way,’_ a voice hissed inside his mind. They long speculated that Morgana was responsible for the disappearance of their original counterparts. If his knights were able to capture the High Priestess, there would be a chance or at least a clue that would be revealed to him on the whereabouts of Original Arthur and Merlin.

Then, he and Princess Merlin could finally go home.

This thought had fueled his determination all the more. He knew he was throwing caution out of the window. His best knights were in danger of being defeated, but Arthur… Arthur _needed_ to go home. Princess Merlin, above all else, had suffered enough. This was not the future that was destined for her. For Merlin to finally be queen, the figure respected by all, was the fitting reward destiny could bestow upon the greatest warlock that had ever graced this earth.

Thus, here was he now, with hands directing his knights to advance now that Agravaine was out of the hovel. Arthur, with Leon, quickly went out of their hiding places and blocked his uncle’s view.

“Agravaine,” he stiffly said, his tone biting it could shake even the bravest knights.

To his astonishment, Agravaine did not seem surprise with their arrival.

“King Arthur,” the lord greeted, mockingly bowing in respect.

The lack of expression from his uncle had confused Arthur. For a moment, he knitted his eyebrows, bothered with his greeting, when realization finally dawned. Jaw dropping, he glared at Agravaine in incredulity. “You knew we were arriving.” It was not a question, but a statement, because he already knew what the answer was anyway.

“I was skeptical at first, knowing that you have a wise head on that shoulder of yours,” Agravaine said, a feral grin growing on his face. “But the death of the peasant girl had shaken you, I’m afraid.” A dark chuckle escaped from his lips, shaking his head. “You are foolish to do this, Arthur. You know that.”

He _knew_ that. But, that did not stop him from lunging forward and punching that smug look off of Agravaine’s face. “You _bastard_ ,” he growled as Leon tried to hold him back.

Blood trickled from Agravaine’s nose but he was unfazed. A maniacal glint was in his eyes and he stared back at Arthur’s furious ones. “My revenge is finally coming into place,” he said, helping himself up from the ground. “I am truly sorry that this has to happen to you, Arthur. _Truly_. But Uther’s dead, and I need someone responsible for the death of Ygraine.”

Hurt clenched in Arthur’s heart. Back in the modern world, his mother was very much alive, but sickly ever since she conceived him. Although his parents constantly assured him it was not his fault Ygraine’s health was frail, Arthur couldn’t help but think that if he was not born at all, Ygraine would continue being healthy.

He could feel the remnants of Original Arthur’s remorse, knowing that Uther’s desperation to have an heir had caused Ygraine’s life.

 _‘We are not really different at all,’_ he thought, enraged that stupid destiny made him undergo these stupid situations in his life.

He was tired, _so tired_ , and he just wanted to rest.

Betrayal etched on his face, he looked down at Agravaine. “I _trusted_ you,” he spat. _‘He trusted you,’_ he mentally continued, remembering the mirrored betrayal on Original Arthur’s face upon discovering that his uncle was Morgana’s most trusted ally after all.

Agravaine scoffed and spat saliva at his feet. “You are _no_ king,” he proclaimed, eyes dangerously flashing.

“Have some respect!” Leon roared, shooting forward to hit the lord once more, but this time, it was Arthur who held him back. The knight looked at Arthur, worried and desperate, but the king merely shook his head back.

“It is too late now, my dear nephew,” Agravaine then calmly said. Arthur’s heart ran cold with his implications. “The Southrons have finally attacked Camelot and I am quite sure they’ve already reached the citadel.” All the color drained from his face, realizing the error of his actions. “What will the castle do now without their king?”

Wild eyed, Arthur looked at Leon once more, who mirrored the shock he felt.

“ _Morgana_ ,” King Arthur breathed, believing that this was all part of the sorceress’ plan.

A disheveled Elyan stepped forward, obviously injured as he doubled over and constantly clutched his stomach. “Sire,” he said, out of breath, “The Lady Morgana was in the hovel at first, but a fight broke, and she was able to flee.” He was remorseful, his eyes downcast. “We are sorry, Arthur.”

Enraged and despaired, Arthur rounded at Agravaine, but to his surprise, he, too, disappeared.

“Where’d he go?!” Leon exclaimed, looking wildly around.

“You won’t find him,” the king said, shoulders sagging in defeat. He had this inkling that the lord was aided by Morgana to flee. Wherever they were now, he was positive that they were travelling to Camelot. With no magic to aid them, Agravaine was right – it would be too late now before they arrived.

His mind turned hazy, the panic escalating. Without Merlin, he did not know if he had the capacity to save Camelot from the enemy. Morgana was powerful, _too powerful_ , and with just a flash of gold of her eyes, he knew that his knights would die like flies. The panic increased ten-fold, his longing to go home intensified, and Arthur was itching to flee from them all.

“Arthur.”

What would his original counterpart think? He was _so stupid_ to follow Agravaine. He should have known that his uncle already had suspicions that he and his knights knew where his true loyalty lies.

“Arthur!”

 _‘Why did you bring me here?’_ he mentally cried to no one. He was incapable. He was just a normal bodyguard, with a task to protect the future Queen of England when the need arises. He was not trained to become a king of an ancient kingdom that was envied by many, and therefore susceptible to different types of attacks. _‘I’ve disappointed you all,’_ he continued, his head hung in shame. All the works the Once and Future King had done… they were all going to ashes because of one, _stupid_ mistake he had to make.

“ARTHUR!”

His reverie was stopped, with Gwaine constantly shaking his shoulders to snap out of it. King Arthur blinked his weary eyes, his knights now gathered around him with worried looks on their faces.

“We have to go back, sire,” Percival quietly quipped. Judging from their looks, he reckoned he did not look good.

“Snap out of it, mate!” Gwaine cried, his grip on his arm tightening. “Camelot _needs_ you.” He paused, his eyes imploring, before quietly continuing, “ _We_ need you.”

In an instant, wallowing in self-pity was forgotten. He might not have been trained to leaned a kingdom during his younger days, but he was The Once and Future King _damn it_!

He could do this.

“Prepare the horses,” he ordered, his voice now holding the authority that he was accustomed of. Relief flooded the faces of his knights as he now met their gazes with a determined stare. “We have a kingdom to protect.”

* * *

_She was back again in the strange, icy room._

_The fear in heart every time she found herself here was mellowed down into frustrated curiosity. She searched around, looking for the familiar frozen form of her original counterpart, but found him to be missing._

_“Merlin.”_

_An icy voice whispered in her ear. She turned towards the origin of the voice, but she could not see anyone._

_“Merlin.”_

_“Where are you?” she cried, wildly looking around. “Please, let me find you.”_

_“Merlin.”_

_“I… I want to go home.” Tears pricked her eyes, worrying for her kingdom. Are her parents worried sick that she was gone?_

Princess Merlin then opened her eyes, suddenly jerked awake from her dream. Frowning in frustration, she sat up and took a deep breath. She had been dreaming about the same room for months, but still, she did not have the answer she needed.

“You cry?”

Merlin blinked and looked at the wide-eyed little tyke beside her cot. The princess smiled and hastily wiped the tears of frustration away. She took a mental note that the next time she dreamt of that icy room, she was going to find some answers from her questions no matter what.

“I had a bad dream,” she told Johnny, bringing him to her lap. Merlin took a peek at windows and could see that the sun was just about to rise. Surprised, she looked back at the boy. “Why are you up so early?” she asked, grinning when he shyly blushed.

“I’m hungry,” was all he could say.

She released a soft ‘aww’, cuddling with the toddler for a while, before standing up from her cot to prepare for breakfast. Emily was still asleep in their shared room and she presumed Maria was too so she would prepare their breakfast, too.

True to her word, Merlin was helping the family with chores. Emily was a horrendous cook, as what Maria told her one day, so she did all the cooking. Merlin, having been a passable cook thanks to the backbreaking training by the Head Cook and Madame Brenda, volunteered to help her.

She prepared bread and some soup while Johnny sat at the corner, drinking milk in a glass, as he hungrily watched Merlin prepare his breakfast. The princess would sometimes shoot smiles at the adorable boy, who would return them with his own smiles, a milk mustache now formed above his lips.

Maria soon joined her preparation after a few minutes. Just as they were setting the table, Emily finally awoken up from her sleep. At the same time, the sun had now fully risen and illuminated the whole house.

“What do you plan on doing today, Meredith?” Maria asked as they munched on their breakfast.

Frowning, Merlin shook her head. “Do you have anything you want me to do?” she asked, offering a smile.

“Well…” the matriarch started, deep in thought. “Emily and I will be off in the fields to gather some of our harvest. I do plan on preparing vegetable soup for later, but we would need more ingredients.”

“I’ll go to the market!” the princess happily volunteered, grabbing on any opportunity to wander the streets. Although three days had already passed since she settled here in Wells, she was starting to get restless. The thought that Arthur was still busy protecting Camelot while she was idly sweeping the floors in some stranger’s home made her feel some urgency on finding clues. She knew going to distant kingdoms was a good plan, but leaving Camelot and Arthur alone… _well_ , the reason why Original Arthur managed to stay alive until he fulfilled his prophecy was because of Original Merlin’s help.

Wandering around could help her investigate, perhaps. Up until now, Merlin did not know where to start. But, as days passed, the magic she felt upon arriving here in Wells, constantly buzzed. This strengthened her feeling that this place was significant with the disappearance of Arthur and Merlin.

“All right,” Maria then said, cutting her off her reverie. “You need not worry about Johnny. He usually plays outside with his friends. Our neighbors are kind enough to look after him.”

Merlin smiled, making a face at Johnny, who giggled in return. “I’ll be back as soon as possible,” she assured.

After breakfast, Merlin washed the dishes as Maria and Emily readied to go to the fields. By the time she was finished, the family had already gone.

Princess Merlin grabbed a basket and listed down all the things that Maria still needed for her vegetable soup. Maria left her some money to buy, but Merlin, with a smile, would sneakily place it back inside Maria’s purse. The pounds she carried was enough to sustain the family for months. She would gladly give it back for the hospitality they showed.

As she meandered through the crowded market, Merlin’s mind was in Camelot once more.

She was sad and worried to leave Arthur alone in such a dangerous kingdom. Camelot had its fair share of beauty, but such beauty was with a price, and she knew that sooner or later, any attacks would have come up by now. This was what she dreaded the most, especially because she could distinctively remember that Original Arthur mostly managed to stay alive because of her original counterpart. It would be especially catastrophic if Morgana chose that same time to attack Camelot. But then again, the attacks usually happen on the most bothersome days.

 _‘I won’t be surprised,’_ she thought snidely, glaring at no one. This destiny and two sides of the same coin stuff was starting to become frustrating. If she were to choose, ruling over England seemed much easier than protecting King Arthur every time she became reincarnated.

The destiny that seemed to follow Arthur was such a powerful one; hence, an equally powerful being, if not _more_ powerful, must constantly stay by his side to keep him safe. Merlin still could not believe that this equally powerful being was clumsy, ol’ _her_.

 _‘I want to go home,’_ she forlornly thought, thinking of her poor, worried parents.

At first, she thought that travelling back to Camelot was the adventure young her always coveted during King Balinor’s bedtime stories. Knights and damsels were present in this kingdom, with fanciful balls and handsome kings, with chivalry present and of spoken adventures in romantic epics and legends. After being here for almost a year now, Merlin wanted none of it.

With a forlorn smile, she now knew the true meaning of the famous adage, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

Such was her preoccupation she wasn’t able to see that a street urchin was about to seize some ingredients from her basket.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, now a bunch of onions, potatoes, tomatoes and carrots scooped against his chest. For such a tiny person, he sure could carry a lot.

Normally, she would just brush it off, knowing that the person might probably need it more than she did. But in Ancient Camelot, she was poverty-stricken, too, and she could understand the value a single potato held. Besides, it seemed unfair to tolerate such evil acts despite having a good reason.

The boy was fast, and Merlin was growing weary. Her legs were still sore from her long travels, with proof of the pain shooting up from her legs. “Stop!” she cried, pushing away some of the angry passersby.

 _‘You leave me with no choice,’_ she said, taking a deep breath to ready herself to release some magic. She merely planned to trip the boy, so that he would stop from running so fast. She then would cushion the fall of the ingredients before gathering them back to her basket. Perhaps, the boy could also get an earful of reprimand from the disappointed princess.

Before her eyes could even turn gold, the child was sudden lifted into the air by the collars of his tunic. Some of the vegetables came tumbling down on the ground, and Merlin released a small shriek, horrified that some tomatoes got squished with the fall.

Merlin hastily tried to save some of the non-salvaged ingredients. The marketplace was frustratingly full; some of the people unknowningly stepped on the fallen onions.

“Leave them,” a deep voice, a highly amused one, told her. “I can give you some, if you want.”

The princess glared darkly at the cowering boy, who was wriggling furiously away from the stranger’s grip. He finally fell back on the ground, blew a raspberry at Merlin, before scampering away.

“Hey!” she cried, angrily wagging a carrot in the air.

“You should really pay attention to your goods,” the same man said, the amusement still in his voice. “Street urchins like him chooses no one.”

Princess Merlin harrumphed, gathered the remaining ingredients she could, and placed them back on her baskets. Her basket was now noticeably light, prompting her to sigh. “About the ingredients you offered, does it still stand?” she asked, straightening up.

“If you wish it.”

Merlin blinked, finally realizing that the voice was strangely _familiar_. As her eyes directed to the stranger, a gasp escaped from her lips. She took a step back in surprise, eyes widening since she did not expect him at all. “A-Arthur?” she asked, relief pooling in her heart. “What are you doing here?”

Seeing him here made her so happy she was afraid that her chest would hurt. But then, realizing that he was _here_ prompted her to crease her eyebrows. Shouldn’t he be in Camelot? How did he get here so fast? Why didn’t he tell her he was arriving?

Why was he _looking_ at her like that?

“Arthur?” he asked, mirroring her expression. “Who’s that?”

She looked at him in disbelief, about to roll her eyes at his ridiculous question, when she stopped and openly stared at him. Her magic was in haywire, now that she realized it. She thought it was merely adrenaline and the fact that she was about to cast one to punish the troublemaker, but then, she knew it was because of the _man_ standing in front of her.

Realization dawned as another gasp escaped from her mouth. Her eyes were so wide, they started to hurt, but the astonishment she felt was too great to even think about those kinds of things.

She realized that perhaps, she was staring directly at the original Arthur Pendragon. 


	27. The Blacksmith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is Benedict the Blacksmith, but Merlin firmly believes he is the one she had been looking for.

He was running away.

Camelot was in ruins. The Southrons, together with Morgana and Agravaine, were able to successfully invade Camelot. His people were caught off guard and as predicted, Arthur and his knights were already too late when they arrived. Many people were already _dead_. The remaining Camelotian knights were doing their utmost best to protect the castle, but they were all futile. The castle was now ransacked and when they arrived, Morgana was already sitting on his throne, the crown atop of her ebony hair.

And he, the _king_ , all did was cowardly run away from it all.

“It is for the best, Arthur,” Gaius reassured him, perhaps for the umpteenth time, as they finally camped out somewhere in the Forest of Ander in Mercia.

Gwaine, Elyan, Leon, and Percival all agreed it was for best if Arthur flee Camelot for now. The pretend king loudly protested, knowing that he was needed the most in a kingdom that was in shambles. They were adamant, telling him that they needed him _alive_ , but without a sound plan to overthrow their invaders, they did not think Arthur would last.

Gaius had volunteered to travel with Arthur as he fled from imminent danger. Gwaine wanted to accompany him, but Arthur knew that Camelot needed all of her strongest knights. The king would feel more remorse if he were to rob her off from the protection she deserved.

When Arthur still refused to talk, Gaius continued, “Perhaps, we may find Merlin on the way.”

That was the only consolation that brightened him in his despondence. Merlin still had not given any letter on her whereabouts and Arthur was growing more worried. Something must have happened to her, but then again, she was supposed to be _dead_. Morgana would not be bothering her anymore.

“Is this really a solution, Gaius?” he finally asked, his eyes never leaving the blazing campfire. “Is leaving Camelot under Morgana’s clutches the only way?”

“We need to have a plan, Arthur,” the weary old man replied. “For now, fleeing is the only solution we have.”

He bristled on his seat, crumpling his hands on his sides. “I _plan_ to fight, Gaius,” he snarled, finally looking at the Court Physician. “My plan was to fight Morgana until I reclaim the throne. _What_ is left to plan?”

Gaius, to his surprise, glared darkly at him. “You must not act rash, Arthur,” he warned. “Your brashness is what got us in this situation in the first place!”

He struck a nerve. The king looked away, ashamed, because Gaius’ words were true. If they did not follow Agravaine, if he at least thought that this was a trap, an _opportunity_ for the Southrons to finally invade Camelot to help Morgana become Queen, all of these things would never happen at all.

A tensed minute passed, before Gaius spoke again, “I apologize for my words, sire.”

“I am no king,” he murmured with a wry smile, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on his shoulders. “I am merely a bodyguard. I did not ask for this.”

He failed all his past reincarnations. He _failed_ The Once and Future King. Perhaps, he thought, he was not worthy to be a reincarnation after all.

The Court Physician expelled a soft sigh. “If it comforts you, the Arthur from this world always flees first before engaging in battle,” Gaius slowly said, carefully choosing his words. “This helps him think of a successful strategy.”

He knew that. He could remember similar events wherein original Arthur had to hide in forests, together with some of his knights and manservant, to devise a plan to reclaim Camelot. Despite this memory, this did not comfort him at all. In fact, it made everything worse.

“What if it is different now?” he asked, his voice small with fear for the future. The original counterparts were missing, he did not know where Merlin was, and he was all alone. This was daunting for a mere bodyguard like him. The self-pity he felt beforehand came back with a vengeance, and all Arthur wanted was to dig a hole and bury himself there until a rightful reincarnation was born.

“I have nothing to offer to that, forgive me,” Gaius gravely said. “But, we should never lose hope. That is a start.”

Silence was heard as Arthur buried his face in his arms. He was firmly grasping to that ‘hope’ Gaius was talking about.

“You are not really a king,” Gaius continued, “but you are the Once and Future King. Your people look up to you, Arthur, please do not lose hope.” The Court Physician paused for a while, expelling a soft sigh. “You know, despite what you kept on telling yourself, you became a king worthy of sitting on Camelot’s throne.”

Arthur made a move to protest, but Gaius smiled. “Merlin thinks so, too,” he continued, mellowing the blond. “She is proud of you the most.”

The princess had always been annoyingly optimistic, always cheering him on when he needed it. A small smile bloomed on his face, missing the princess more, and answering, “Yeah, she is.”

His hold on hope tightened, strangely comforted now that Gaius spoke of Merlin’s thoughts on him. His desire to find her grew more, knowing that if she were with him, his strength to save Camelot would be greater.

“I think,” he started, eyes once more directed at Gaius, “my first plan is to search for Princess Merlin.”

The Court Physician smiled. “I thought so, too.”

* * *

“His name is Benedict, and he’s the assistant blacksmith to old man Benjamin, the town’s blacksmith,” Emily twittered softly against Merlin’s ear. “Isn’t he dreamy?”

The redhead chuckled softly, but Merlin seemed too shocked to digest Emily’s words.

They were in the village, with Emily touring Merlin around since they had nothing left to do. Maria took Johnny to the next village, the poor boy suddenly falling sick. The physician in this village was currently unavailable that was why Maria had to bring little Johnny to the next village to have him checked up.

Merlin had caught sight of Original Arthur, or _Benedict_ , in one of the stalls once more. He was buying some metals that he would most probably need for his blacksmithery. At the same time, Merlin had inquired Emily about him, and the redhead was happy to oblige. Apparently, he was quite famous in this small village.

“He arrived here at least five or six months ago, I’m not quite sure,” Emily continued, looping an arm with Merlin. “He blended in quite nicely, but he still sticks out more, with that dazzling hair of his.” She sighed and grinned at Merlin. “He’s also a man full of mystery, so Benedict’s usually the topic of discussion here in the village.”

“What do you mean?” the princess asked, shooting her a sideways glance.

“Well, he just literally popped out of nowhere,” Emily explained, eyes once again directed on Benedict. “He came here, lost and hungry, so kind Benjamin took him in to give him food and shelter. Ever since then, Benedict helped the blacksmith with his work. He’s brilliant at it, too, if you must know.”

Merlin watched as Benedict helped the vendor place everything he bought into a tight bundle. “Where does he say he came from?” she asked, holding her breath as she waited for Emily’s answer.

“That’s the thing,” Emily said, “he doesn’t know.” Upon seeing Merlin’s confused expression, she expounded, “Benedict claims not to know anything. Actually, Benedict is not his real name. Benjamin only gave it to him, seeing that he could not remember even his own name.”

The princess paled with this information. With the mysterious amnesia, coupled with the uncanny resemblance with her Arthur, this just strengthened her hypothesis that he was, without a shadow of doubt, the missing Once and Future King.

“I’ll… I’ll run along,” Merlin lamely excused as Benedict now left the stall. “I forgot to do something.”

“You want me to come with you?” Emily asked, but Merlin hastily shook her head.

“No, no, you still have some cooking to do,” she brushed off absentmindedly, now a few steps away from her friend. “I’ll be back before twilight.”

“Meredith, hey!” the redhead exclaimed. “You know I can’t cook!”

Princess Merlin craned her neck and gave her a brief wave of goodbye, before stalking the blacksmith once more. Thankfully, Emily did not follow her and had likely went back home.

 _‘Even the back of his head looks so much like my bodyguard,’_ Merlin thought, still in disbelief that the person in front of her was the spitting image of Bodyguard Arthur. Her heart thudded so strongly she was afraid it would escape from her chest. She was happy, _too happy_ , that the idea of going home did not seem so far away anymore. The one-half of the famous duo was here, and although Original Merlin was still missing, Merlin could not contain the happiness she felt.

Benedict suddenly skidded to a stop, snapping her off her train of thoughts. Merlin wildly looked around, hastily searching for a place to hide, but the blacksmith was quick. With three big strides, he was already looming over her. He looked ominous, a streak of irritation on his face, and Merlin took a step back with his sudden proximity.

“Why, if I may ask, _are_ you following me?” he demanded, staring her down with those familiar blue eyes of his.

She was too speechless for words, her own wide, blue eyes staring back at his own. Merlin quickly thought of an excuse, and as she opened her mouth, a soft sob escaped from her lips instead of words.

The irritation on Benedict’s face quickly disappeared, replaced with horror. Tears steadily leaked out from Merlin’s eyes.

The princess felt ashamed, standing there and crying like a fool, but she found herself she couldn’t stop. She was just happy, _too_ happy, that she and Bodyguard Arthur could finally go home.

* * *

The odd girl was such a pain in the neck. Wherever he went, she would follow. Benedict thought that after her display of tears, embarrassing him greatly as people looked at them oddly, she would leave him alone. It turned out that she now constantly trailed him like she was a lost dog.

He tried to push her away, numerous times, but she always appeared, and he was getting tired of it all. She made it startlingly obvious she would not go anywhere. People were even starting to talk, gossiping amongst themselves how close they suddenly were. One meddling woman even asked him if they have a “budding romance”, and if there were none, could he marry her daughter?

“Stop following me,” he lamely said one day, as she bounded out from Maria’s residences and followed him to his usual ritual of collecting scrap metals and buying expensive ones to forge new swords with Benjamin.

“I’m not following you,” she said, giving him an innocent smile. “I’m buying things here in the market.” Both of them knew she was lying, of course, what with the lack of a basket perched on her arms.

He found out from Emily that the annoying girl was Meredith. Emily’s family had always been nice to him, and he wondered if they were foolish to take in an irritating girl like Meredith. But Maria seemed fond of the girl, so he respected her decision in the end. That did not stop him from disliking her, however.

There were times, though, when Meredith was not looking, he would give her a proper glance. She was familiar to him. She would give off this knowing look, the one that clearly stated that she knew something that he didn’t, and he would have asked her long before if she was not such an irritating person.

As days passed, though, Meredith seemed to mellow down. She did not follow him anywhere he went anymore, but she would drop by the blacksmith once in a while. Benjamin also took a liking at the intelligent, witty girl, prompting him to roll his eyes. Somehow, she was starting to grow under his skin.

During lazy afternoons, she would accompany him in the blacksmith and watch him forge a dagger or a sword. Oftentimes, she would be quiet, content in watching him. There were moments, though, when she would engage him in a small talk, and begrudgingly, he replied.

He did not want to admit it, but she was nice to talk to. He liked forging swords, but he sometimes got bored when doing it alone.

“You’re really good at it, you know,” Meredith said one time, eyes trained intently on a newly forged sword. “It’s a good decision to pair it with that hilt.” She pointed at the said part and smiled. “It will perfectly balance the force of the strike of the wielder.”

He looked at her, curious. “You know a thing about blacksmithery?” he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. He understood what she meant about the hilt and the pointed end, and he was surprised a girl like her would know something about them.

Meredith seemed to understand what she said, for she blushed. Was that a hint of panic he saw? “Ah, well,” she started shiftily, “just swords, really. My, err, my father was a big fan.”

He continued to eye her curiously, but dropped the subject in the end. He was too tired to probe more, anyway.

“Have you ever tried using one?” Meredith then asked, changing the topic.

Benedict frowned and absentmindedly looked at the sword. “I’m… not sure,” he slowly said, now placing the sword aside. “It feels natural to hold one, though.”

“I’m sure you’re a brilliant one,” she complimented with a bright smile on her face. “As a swordsman, I mean.”

He looked at her and she held that knowing glint in her eyes again.

“Have we met before?” he sputtered out before he could stop himself. Meredith’s eyes widened in surprise. Benedict looked away, embarrassed with his slip, but he knew he couldn’t cover his mistake.

He expelled a sigh when the raven-haired maiden continued to be dumbfounded. “Sometimes, I feel like I’ve seen you before,” he softly confessed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Like you’re someone… _familiar_. Someone I’ve met before my my brain” – he gestured wildly in the air – “became clouded.”

Meredith blinked at him for a full minute before a small, mysterious smile creeped itself on her face. “Perhaps,” she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded, his confusion heightening with her enigmatic answer.

She shrugged once more.

“You know,” he said, giving her an exasperated smile, “ever since you came here in Northumbria, you have given me countless headaches already. And I meant in literally!”

Meredith chuckled and stood up, giving her another grin. “Good night, Benedict,” she said, her eyes already sparkling in the dark. He thought, with a grimace, that she was pretty to look at. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

He gave a show of rolling his eyes. “Do I have a choice?” he said, prompting her to laugh once more. “Good night, Meredith.”

For a moment, she stared at him once more. He could detect some hope in her stare, and he wondered once more if they had seen each other before. As she left the shop, he could feel a growing headache already. Sighing, he retired for the night and rested.

* * *

Merlin shot Benedict a look, amusement on her face.

She told the blacksmith she could not accompany him today. Maria fell sick this time, and Emily took it upon herself to watch over Johnny. Therefore, Merlin volunteered to buy ingredients and take care of Maria. Benedict brushed off her comment and Merlin thought he would finally sigh in relief since she would not be pestering him.

But then, lo and behold, as she commenced her shopping her in the market, Benedict appeared.

“I have some things to buy, too,” he said, blushing, as he grabbed Merlin’s basket to assist her.

Warmth pooled in her heart and she merely gave him a brilliant smile. She missed her bodyguard more; Benedict was starting to act like Bodyguard Arthur as days passed by. Merlin, with a mental victory dance, knew she finally wiggled herself into Benedict’s life. She knew he found her annoying at first, but could she be blamed? Here was the key to her travel back home and she had to be reassured every day that travelling back seemed nearer now than before.

While they bounded here and there, Benedict started the conversation this time.

“From what kingdom are you from?” he asked, busy examining different sizes of potatoes in a stall.

Merlin intently watched him as she answered. “I’m from Camelot,” she carefully said.

His reaction was instant. The potato he was clutching fell limply back on the stall. His eyes widened as he swiftly looked at her. “Camelot?” he echoed, his eyebrows slowly drawing together. “Why do I have a feeling I’ve heard that place before?”

 _‘Because you’re the king there, duh,’_ she thought with a grin. “Eh, it’s famous for the royals and knights there,” she said, now bounding off to the next stall. “Have you heard that our king was the best swordsman in all the Five Kingdoms?”

He made a sound at the back of his throat, prompting her smile to widen. “It’s a wonderful place, but alas, I had to leave.” She made a face, remembering her unpleasant encounter with the flames in her own pyre. “It doesn’t mean I don’t miss it, though. Camelot is quite lovely during its most peaceful days after all.”

When she said ‘Camelot’ once again, Benedict flinched and then frowned. Merlin wondered if, despite his addled mind, his feelings for Camelot were still too strong to suppress.

“Why did you have to leave?” he asked, giving her a sideway glance.

Absentmindedly, her hand came to the ring around her neck and sighed. “I had to,” she revealed. An image of Arthur swam into her mind, prompting her to sigh once more. “I didn’t want to, though.”

“Hmm,” he said, not really sure want to say. “I’m… sorry.”

She gave him a dubious glance. “You don’t need to,” she said, chuckling. “You have nothing to apologize.”

He shrugged. “It seemed like the most logical thing to say, so I did,” he said, giving her a sheepish grin.

They continued their perusal in silence, and by the time Merlin had finished buying the ingredients for their luncheon and supper, the sun was high up in the sky.

“How does it feel,” Benedict suddenly quipped as he walked her home. “How does it feel to miss something or, err, _someone_?”

She gave him a strange look. “What do you mean?” Merlin asked.

“Well,” he elaborated, “I’m not exactly remembering anything so I’m curious as to what it would feel like when you miss something.”

Merlin was saddened with his reason. She did not know how she would feel if she forgot all the memories she had right now, good or bad ones. “It’s sad,” she started. “You know, your heart gets all twisty and uncomfortable.” A sigh escaped from her lips, remembering her Arthur. “You feel restless, wanting to go back, to be with that person once more, because you do not want to spend the following, _agonizing_ days, alone.” She could feel tears forming at the corner of her eyes but she bit them back. “It’s… it’s not a pleasant feeling.” A small chuckle escaped from her lips as she secretly brushed off a tear. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re wrong,” Benedict said with a sad sigh. “I understand.”

When Merlin gave him a surprise stare, he sadly smiled, “I… I think I miss something or someone, I’m not really sure, but I don’t know what or who.”

His confession had dumbfounded her. Her heart swelled, going out to the poor, amnesiac king. “Do you… do you ever wish you know who you truly are?” she finally asked. This question had been nagging her for days, but she always thought it was not the right time to ask him with such. Today felt a good time, though.

He was thoughtful for a while. Merlin felt instantly guilty for asking a ridiculous question. It was obvious his origins was still a touchy subject, and she was not quite sure if she was already in the position to probe him.

“Sometimes,” he would finally say, surprising the princess, “I think that maybe I used to be someone else. Someone different… _important_.”

Her eyes almost bulged out from her sockets. Breath hitching, she thought, _‘You are important! You are king!’_

“I always have this feeling that perhaps I am supposed to do something important, but my blasted mind wouldn’t allow me to remember.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“I can help you remember,” she quietly said. He looked at her in surprise, and she hastily added, “I mean, I promise to help you remember, if you like.”

He thought about her offer in silence. “Maybe I’m destined to become a blacksmith,” he finally answered with a shrug. “Maybe that’s the reason why I’m brought here in Wells.”

“Oh, I know about destinies,” she told him a little too loudly. “Trust me, I do.”

Benedict laughed at her vehemence. “It’s all right, I actually like being a blacksmith,” he replied. “If my memory loss is permanent, then I’ll happy assume my role as one.”

Merlin furiously shook her head. “No, no,” she protested, “you might not know it, but there could be people who are reverently waiting for your return.”

They finally arrived in Maria’s abode. Benedict gave her the basketful of ingredients and smiled. “That will be quite sad then, yes?” he said with sigh. Before she could reply, he gave her a cheerful wave of goodbye and disappeared in the night.

Determined, Merlin watched until she could not see Benedict’s back anymore. As she entered the house, one thought was in her mind.

It was time.

* * *

_Dear Arthur and Gaius,_

_I am in Wells, Northumbria. I will know if you are here. Wells is a relatively small town._

_You must make haste. You have to meet someone important._

_P.S. Be as inconspicuous as possible, especially you, Arthur._

Her letter was brief, but Arthur could feel his heart thudding in excitement.

“Do you know where this is, Gaius?” the king asked the old physician.

“I do, sire,” the Court Physician replied. “Travelling to Northumbria might take a day, at most two if we travel merely by foot.”

Arthur, with newfound strength, stood up and started to pack his things. “Well, you heard Merlin!” he exclaimed jovially. “We must make haste.”


	28. Mirror Image

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict, meet Arthur.

“Do you have any news of Arthur?”

Morgana was expecting Agravaine to jovially proclaim that he had, that they finally located her imbecile, half-brother, but what was she to expect? Agravaine, like Arthur, was such a pathetic fool who could not even hide how hopelessly in love he was with her. With a smirk, the High Priestess fervently thanked the gods above Arthur’s uncle was a besotted fool; manipulating him was easy.

It did not surprise her, thus, when Agravaine shook his head. “Forgive me, my lady,” he solemenly replied. “But my people are still scouring the neighboring lands for any sign of Arthur.”

Morgana impatiently sighed, tapping her manicured nail on the arm of her new throne. “I do not appreciate my time being wasted, Agravaine,” she calmly replied. “I want Arthur in three days.”

His eyes widened with her demand, but Morgana was getting bored. It was fun ransacking Camelot for a while, marking it as her own. The Southrons were also quite helpful with her cause, but it was starting to bore her. Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table were too exhausted with torture to entertain her, and now, she could not wait to get her hands on her half-brother. By then, she would truly be satisfied.

Agravaine suddenly fell on his knees and bowed low. “I promise you, Morgana, I will find Arthur,” he vowed sincerely, voice laden with devotion. She had to stop herself from cringing in disgust.

“Leave me,” she then said, dismissing him. Agravaine scrambled back on his feet and left, leaving the new queen alone.

 _‘Where are you, dear brother?’_ she internally asked with a smirk. _'I want you to grovel at my feet.'_

* * *

“Benedict?” she feebly asked.

The blacksmith looked up from the sword he was forging and lifted an eyebrow. Beads of sweat were already on his forehead due to the heat of the flames and his exertion on making the sword. The sleeves of his tunic were rolled up to his elbows, and streaks of coal were on the exposed parts of his body.

Dear heavens, but he was a sight for the sore eyes. Blushing furiously, Merlin could see his toned muscles every time he pounded on the metal. She kept on telling herself that this was not the bodyguard she had feelings for, that he was _the_ King Arthur, but their resemblance was too uncanny. Benedict still made her bothered a little.

“What is it, Meredith?” he asked impatiently. “If you have not noticed yet, I have a sword to forge.”

Princess Merlin cleared her throat and willed her cheeks to cool down. Her Arthur would not like this at all, she thought, prompting her to lightly smile. “Someone… _special_ is to come and finally meet you,” she then said.

He stopped with his task once more and looked at her curiously. He was silent and thoughtful for a while, placing the glowing sword into a basinful of water. Heat instantly evaporated as the metal tried to cool down.

When Benedict placed the sword aside, he finally said, “Someone you missed?” His back was still facing her, that was why he did not see how her cheeks flared up once more. When he turned back around, he was thoughtful once more. “Perhaps… someone who gave you that ring?” He jutted his chin at the jewelry as she gasped in surprise.

Instantly, her hand went to the ring. She fiddled with it and continued, “I had no idea you noticed.” She tried not to draw too much attention to the ring, after all. Suspicions were bound to arise if they realized how much it had cost.

The blacksmith laughed and sheathed the sword. “You’re constantly stalking me,” he pointed out, “I was bound to notice your mannerisms. You tend to fiddle with your ring when you’re in deep thought.”

The redness of her cheek intensified. “I do not stalk!” she cried. It was an undignified term, and Queen Hunith would be aghast that such a verb could even be done by the princess.

“Keep telling that to yourself,” he said with a smile. He then brushed off the sweat from his forehead, managing to smear more coal on his face. Merlin fondly smiled and shook her head at how ridiculous the Once and Future King looked right now.

“Whoever this special someone of yours,” he continued, “tell him that I’m glad he’s here. You’ll finally stop pestering me.”

She made a noncommittal sound, wondering how Benedict would react to the presence of his future reincarnation.

* * *

“The horses are tired,” Arthur said, his legs equally sore from the constant bouncing on the horse saddle. He still could not believe that people used to travel in an uncomfortable fashion. One thing he could never get use in the middle ages was horseback riding. And the privy. Gods, he could not even begin to describe how he felt with the medieval versions of toilets.

“It doesn’t matter,” Gaius said, to his surprise. “We are finally here in Wells.”

The king’s eyes brightened upon Gaius’ claim. He unmounted from his horse and helped Gaius down. Searching around, he tied their horses in a nearby tree and gave a boy three schillings to watch out for their horses.

“It’s best if we travelled by foot then,” the king said.

He and Gaius entered Northumbria as inconspicuous as possible, following Merlin’s instructions. He and Gaius wore hooded cloaks to conceal their identity in case somebody identified them. It would not do Arthur some good if the King of Camelot was suddenly found roaming around the streets of the neighboring kingdom of Camelot.

Arthur tried to rack his brain on any facts he could recall on Northumbria. Camelot and this kingdom were not exactly allies, but at the same time, they were not exactly enemies, too. He could not recall the name of their king, but he could recall that he was a cowardly, stout man who hid behind his council. Arthur made a mental note to study more about this kingdom once he reclaimed Camelot. If he were to stay here longer, better start King Arthur’s destiny of uniting the Five Kingdoms of Albion, then.

His eyes swept through the streets, curious with the inhabitants. Merlin said it was a fairly small town and that she would find them sooner or later. He hoped for the former, since his whole body was stiff from travel and he was starting to forget the comfort provided by a warm, springy bed.

 _‘Focus, Arthur!’_ he exclaimed, horrified that he was thinking about his comfort when Camelot was in shambles. Ashamed, his fervor of finding Merlin increased, knowing that finding her would hasten their return to Camelot.

“You can relax, Arthur,” Gaius murmured, low enough for only him to hear. Bustling townspeople were starting to gather. Arthur drew his hood lower on his face, nervous he would be discovered. “This place is safe.”

The king gave a half-hearted nod. Despite being deemed safe, it would not do them some good if he suddenly became lax.

His hand was on the hilt of his sword as they continued to meander around the village. He could see a market from afar, and he thought it might be the perfect place for him to bump into Merlin, if she was still here. Twilight was nearing, and it would be difficult to search for Merlin in the dark.

“Hello, Benedict,” one man suddenly greeted him. His eyebrows drew together, surprised at being addressed as such. He tipped his head to greet him back, and the man then jogged off. Despite his hood, people still seemed to see his face, constantly greeting him as ‘Benedict’, increasing his confusion.

“Who’s Benedict?” he asked, as the fifth person greeted him as such.

Even Gaius was mildly surprised and curious as to how he was being addressed. “I’m not also quite sure, Arthur,” he whispered in reply.

“There you are!” a girl with red hair suddenly exclaimed, bounding in front Arthur and completely stopping him from his tracks. “Why are you wearing a cloak?”

“Umm…” he said, trying to rack his brain for any excuse.

To his surprise, the young girl suddenly laughed. “Oh, clever boy,” she teased. “Hiding from Meredith.” Arthur’s eyes widened upon hearing that name. “Oh, she will have your head, I tell you! She has been looking all over the place for you, Benedict.”

“Meredith?” he asked, chancing a glance at Gaius. The Court Physician, eyebrows disappearing behind his hair, returned his look with a nod.

“She’s in front of the apple store,” the girl continued to chatter. “Well, I have to go home to Johnny now.” A teasing grin bloomed on her face again. “Good luck facing Meredith!” She then bounded off to god-knows-where.

“Gaius, it’s _Merlin_ ,” he said breathlessly, eyes wild as he rounded to the old physician.

Gaius had a smile on his face. “It had been too long, hadn’t it?” he asked.

Arthur, unable to stop the growing smile on his face, nodded his head.

* * *

“Where is that clotpole?” she sighed, noting that the sun was slowly making its descent. Merlin specifically told Benedict to come meet her today in the market; he promised to help her carry her baskets once more. But then, there was no sign of him yet, and it annoyed her to bits and pieces. She could be a little late, yes, but she _hated_ it when other people she was supposed to meet were late with their appointment with her.

 _‘Patience, Merlin,’_ a voice, eerily sounding like Hunith’s, told her. _‘You are a Crown Princess.’_

With a wry smile, Merlin was starting to let loose from all the rules she had to abide as the future Queen of England. She started to curse a little, even sitting unladylikely even when no one was looking. She started to do some chores, and she was not clumsy about it, too. Back home, Hunith would have a heart attack if Merlin would use that dainty hands of hers to scrub the grease off plates.

Finally, she spotted Benedict. He was wearing a hooded cloak, which was weird, because Benedict looked always scruffy with that dirty tunic of his. His face seemed void of coal streaks, too, and Merlin wondered if the reason why the blacksmith was late because he freshened up for their meeting.

“You’re late,” she pointed out with a glare, crossing her arms to make her more menacing. This always worked with Hunith and Madame Margeaux, after all.

Benedict seemed unfazed, a weird expression on his face as he continued to trudge closer to her. Confusion bloomed in her heart, about to ask him where he had been, but before she could even, he suddenly threw his arms around her and collected her into a tight, warm hug.

For a moment, she was dumbstruck. She could distinctively see the curious looks thrown their way. She heard about rumors that she and Benedict were romantically-linked, which was not really technically true, seeing that it was his future counterpart she was in love with.

“Benedict, the people are watching,” she awkwardly said, trying to pry his arms away from her, but he latched on tighter. Merlin could already feel a blush creeping on her cheeks. _‘Oh, Arthur will not like this one bit,’_ she thought, weakly trying to break free from his tight grip.

“Merlin,” he then whispered.

The princess froze in his arms, her own arms falling limply on her side. Benedict never called her as such! Could it be possible that Benedict finally regained his memory? But, he did not exactly know that she was the reincarnation of his faithful manservant.

Eyes widening, she pulled her face away and stared directly into his eyes. Did it mean…

“Merlin, it’s me.”

Realization that it was Arthur, _her_ Arthur, who was hugging her hit her hard like a train. For a moment, she was frozen, and Arthur waited with bated breath for her reaction. As she finally exhaled, a sob escaped, wound her arms around Arthur’s neck tightly and openly cried.

“Arthur,” she sobbed, distinctively hearing his chuckle. “Oh Arthur, it’s you.”

Blubbered ‘I missed yous’ escaped from her mouth. Arthur kept on smothering kisses to her tresses. Merlin did not even care if people were starting to openly look at them, aghast with their display of affection. She was too happy that she was finally back in Arthur’s hands.

It had been too long, after all.

She spotted Gaius above his shoulders through her tears. The Court Physician had shining eyes, and Merlin’s heart swelled, knowing that the kind, old physician was also trying his best not to cry at their reunion. She gave him a watery smile, which he returned with a warm smile of his own.

“Meredith?”

Standing beside Gaius was a dumbstruck Benedict. He noted the tears on her face and became worried, taking a few steps forward. He shot a suspicious look at Arthur, who had his back against the newcomer, and instantly, Merlin became panicked. It would do them no good if people saw that there were two Arthurs (or Benedicts).

“Gaius, grab him and follow me!” she exclaimed. The Court Physician did not need to be told twice for he latched onto Benedict and pulled him. Merlin also grabbed Arthur’s hand and directed them until they were far away from Wells and somewhere in a secluded area in the forest.

By the time they arrived, night had already befallen. It was a full moon that night, the light shining directly at where they were standing.

“For an old man, you sure grip tight,” Benedict snarled as he finally pulled his arm away from the Court Physician. Gaius merely ogled at him strangely, at loss of what to say to the man that looked _exactly_ like Arthur.

“Meredith, what’s going on?” the blacksmith demanded, glaring darkly at the tearstained face of the princess. “I know you’re mad at me for being late, but there’s no need to bring me here!”

Merlin broke away from Arthur’s hand and took a step forward. “Benedict, listen to me,” she slowly said, “I want you to calm down.”

He looked at her dubiously. “Honestly, saying that makes me panic more,” he exclaimed. “What’s going on, Meredith?”

Princess Merlin sighed and held onto his right arm. “Remember the special person who wants to meet you?” she asked. Merlin waited until he nodded his head and continued, “He’s here with me. And I want you to meet him.”

She gestured at Arthur to step forward.

For a moment, Arthur merely stared at a curious Benedict. He turned his head at Merlin, and she could see a shadow of a disbelieving grin on his face. “It’s as if I’m looking at my own reflection!” he exclaimed.

“Who are you?” Benedict barked in annoyance. He glared once more at Merlin. “I don’t have time for your childish games, Meredith.”

Merlin rolled her eyes at his impatience.

“All right, all right,” Arthur said, finally removing the hood off his head. Benedict instantly paled upon seeing him, his eyes widening as he stared back at the person that looked  _exactly_ like him.

Arthur took a deep breath and resumed his kingly attitude. Stepping forward, he grinned at the dumbstruck Once and Future King. “Hello,” he said, the grin still on his face, “this may sound as a surprise, but breaking news – you are me and I am you.” 


	29. Real You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate Merlin tries to put some sense in Stubborn Benedict.

After the events yesterday, Merlin doubted she was welcome in the blacksmith’s shop. But then, this was something she needed to do, as what she assured Arthur and Gaius.

As expected, the revelation had shocked Benedict. They expected him to ask questions, to _demand_ why Arthur looked exactly like him, and what they wanted from him, but Benedict did not do any of those. Instead, he ran away from them, utterly confused, without looking back.

Gaius and Arthur were now currently renting an inn on the outskirts of Wells. It would not do them some good if people realized that there were two identical Benedicts walking under their noses.

Arthur insisted to accompany her with her confrontation with Benedict, but she refused. _“He’s still taking in all that was revealed to him,”_ she told him prior to her leave. _“I think it is best if I talk to him._ Alone _.”_

Thus, here was she, standing in front of the wooden door to the blacksmith’s shop. Hesitantly, she lifted her knuckles and softly rapped at the door. It creaked open with the third knock, and Benjamin’s kind, wrinkly face greeted her. He smiled upon recognizing the princess and stepped outside.

“I apologize, Meredith, but Benedict doesn’t seem to feel well today,” he said, still with that smile on his face. “I think it’s best if you come back tomorrow, yes?”

She knew it would be his excuse. Years of serving Arthur Pendragon made her anticipate whatever actions he did. Lifting a small bowl of porridge, she came prepared. “I brought some comfort food,” she said, widening her eyes just a little bit to sway the old man. “I won’t be a bother, Benjamin. I promise.”

The blacksmith, face dirtied with coal just like Benedict’s, looked thoughtful for a while, before expelling a soft sigh. “All right,” he said, opening the door once more. “If you need me, I’ll just be in the village market.”

“Thank you, Benjamin,” she said, flashing him a pretty smile.

The blacksmith sighed once more and shook his head, stepping aside as Merlin walked through the door. She heard him mutter words such as ‘children these days’ and ‘meddling old man’ before he disappeared, prompting the princess to chuckle.

As soon as the door closed, Merlin dropped her smile and took a deep breath. She could already hear loud clangs of metal, proving that Benedict was not really sick, and he just did not want to see her today. Sighing, she set the bowl of porridge aside, and walked towards the source of the sound.

Merlin swallowed a gasp upon seeing a shirtless Benedict, his muscles dirtied and tensed as he continued to pound on the sword. Cheeks red with embarrassment, she slowly walked forward. It was really _very hard_ not to get flustered around his presence when he looked _exactly_ like Bodyguard Arthur. She, thought, with a grimace, that these days would be very hard for her.

“Benedict,” she called, announcing her presence.

He stopped midpound, surprised that she was there. Benedict darkly glared and stopped his activities all together, meaning to walk away from her.

“Wait, we need to talk!” she cried, shooting forward to grab onto his arm.

The blacksmith angrily shook her off and pushed her aside. “There’s _nothing_ to talk about,” he snarled so icily, Merlin flinched.

“Please, Benedict, hear me out."

Benedict turned his back on her, falling silent. Merlin, ever so slowly, took a few more steps toward him. His stance was screaming tension and it did not help that she felt uncomfortable, too. “I… understand the confusion you must have felt,” she slowly continued. “I apologize; it was not my plan for you to meet like that.”

He angrily scoffed but did not reply. Instead, he went back to his work and noisily pounded on the sword. Merlin helplessly stood in front of him, at loss of what to do. She honestly imagined that Benedict would be so relieved that he could finally know his true origins. She imagined that he would gladly accept the fact that he was King Arthur, that his mind was most likely addled by a powerful sorceress that wanted him dead, that was why he had no memory of his past and was now posing as a blacksmith in Northumbria. She did not anticipate that he would not take this news lightly.

 _‘Who are you kidding, Merlin?’_ she snarled to herself. _‘If you found out you are a blasted ruler in a blasted kingdom with a blasted reincarnation from future, would you take it lightly, too?’_

She sighed with this thought, berating herself that she should have thought about this meeting properly. She should have considered that Benedict had been confused for a while, unable to remember everything about him, and suddenly bombarding him with the answers all at once would be too overwhelming. She, of all people, should have known that, especially because she underwent the same situation wherein she suddenly remembered who she truly was in just an instant.

“Benedict,” she called out once more, but her voice was drowned by the noise of the clanging metals. “Benedict, please, listen to me.”

Her pleas fell into deaf ears. His pounding became more vigorous, the sounds more deafening, and Merlin had had enough. “WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!” she bellowed, heaving heavily as the words escaped from her mouth. Benedict angrily threw his hammer over her head and shrieking, Merlin ducked down just in time.

“Bloody hell, Benedict!” she exclaimed, horrified, that she almost got smashed on the face.

“ _Fine_ , I’ll listen,” he snapped, his glare so dark she felt a shiver run down her spine. “But after this, after revealing to me everything you know, I want you, for the love of everything good, to _leave me alone_.” He said the last words with vehemence, she actually felt a little hurt.

Calming her wildly beating heart, Merlin took a deep breath and cautiously approached the hysterical blacksmith again. “The person you’ve met yesterday” – his shoulders visibly tensed – “is right… you are one and the same.” She ran a tired hand across her face and continued, “You see, the thing is, Arthur and I are not from here. We’re from the future.”

He looked at her, dumbfounded. “You actually expect me to believe that loads of trollop?!” he roared, prompting her to flinch.

Merlin lifted her hands to stand him down. “That’s the truth,” she said, with great emphasis on the last word. “Arthur… he’s your reincarnation.” She took a deep breath and steadily looked at him. “You are King Arthur, the ruler of the kingdom Camelot, the Once and Future King. You are destined to unite all the Five Kingdoms of Albion.”

He took her words in silently. Merlin took that as a cue to continue, “We were suddenly thrown here in the past. Arthur and I still have no idea how that happened, but we figured it was because you and your manservant are missing, which threw off the balance in this world.”

Princess Merlin cautiously stepped closer to the blacksmith until she was standing directly in front of him. “I am an important figure of our time, too,” she declared, “and it wouldn’t do me some good and the people I left behind if I stayed here for a longer period of time.”

Coolly, Benedict met her gaze. “I don’t see how your current predicament concerns me,” he harshly spat.

Merlin bit the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from crying. “You are King Arthur, _damn it_ ,” she hissed angrily in reply. “From the first moment I saw you here in Wells, I knew. Arthur’s mere presence already speaks volumes of your true origins, Benedict. Why are you blinding yourself from the truth?”

The blacksmith angrily looked away from her. “I _told_ you, countless times in fact, that I am content of who I am right now,” he snapped back, his knuckles now turning a frightening shade of white. “I am a _blacksmith_ , not a king.”

“Benedict, please - .”

“Leave."

“Please, why are you - .”

“I said _leave_ ,” he growled, now looming ominously over the tearful princess. “You’ve explained yourself now and I listened. Now leave, and don’t show your face to me anymore.”

A tear slipped down from Merlin’s eyes, still gazing beseechingly at Benedict. But, he was stubborn, and did not even spare her another glance anymore.

Sighing, Merlin wiped the tear away and left.

* * *

When she entered their room, Arthur already knew that her meeting with Benedict was a disaster. 

Merlin tearfully collapsed on the bed beside him and hung her head in shame. “He doesn’t want to listen to me,” she murmured, tiredly running a hand across her face. “I tried, but… he pushed me away. He said he is content on who he is right now.” She sighed and secretly wiped away a tear. Arthur had caught it, of course, but he did not comment further about it.

The king exchanged a look at the pensive Court Physician, but Gaius merely shook his head.

King Arthur did not have the heart to tell her that his original counterpart was a stubborn, pain in the arse. Simple conversations with Benedict would not result to anything. Once his mind was set on something, it would be very difficult to change his mind.

“Maybe we can all talk to him this time?” he weakly offered, not sure if that was the right suggestion at all. With all of them together, Benedict might be more irritated. But, they had to do something, especially if they wanted to go home as soon as possible, now that they found out the other half of the famous duo.

He watched as Merlin stared at Gaius imploringly. “What do you propose we do, Gaius?” she beseeched, desperation clearly on her face. Like him, Merlin wanted to go home soon, too.

The Court Physician was silent for a while, his eyebrows knitted together in deep worry. “I… am not sure,” he said, followed by a tired sigh. “King Arthur’s will is his own. It is up to him if he wants to remember his past self.”

Even Gaius knew how stubborn the original Once and Future King could be. Merlin deflated with his answer and slumped back down on the bed.

“If he continues to be stubborn,” Arthur started, “then, we have no choice but to look for Merlin instead.”

The princess despondently shook her head. “But can’t you see?” she asked, exhaustion heard in the tone of her voice. “If there is anyone here who has a clue where Merlin is besides Morgana, I’m sure it will be Arthur.” She paused and took a deep breath. “My dreams… I know they are telling me where Merlin is, but I still have no idea what they all meant. We need Benedict’s help.”

Bodyguard Arthur somberly nodded his head. Princess Merlin was right, after all.

* * *

“You’ve pestered me, and now you’re using Emily to bait me?” Benedict roared as he finally saw the trio in the forest at the outskirts of Northumbria.

He was busy forging new swords in the blacksmith shop when a while ago, Emily came bustling inside, requesting to meet him in the forest outside their small town. Benedict did not really put much thought about it as Emily went ahead and he freshened up, but when he saw Meredith, together with her companions, he felt stupid. _Of course_ , they were desperate enough to talk some sense into him; it did not surprise him that they were using any means that they could think of to corner him.

“I’m tired of this bollocks,” he said, raising his hands in an act of giving up, before turning around, meaning to run back home.

To his surprise, the man that looked so much like him, Arthur, latched onto his arm and refused to let him go. “Let me go,” Benedict said through gritted teeth, glaring darkly at his ‘reincarnation’. He still could not believe that simple fact. He paled when Arthur gave him an equally dark glare, noting that he looked so much like him, even when he was angry.

“If you must know,” Arthur growled at him, eyes dangerously flashing, “I was trained ever since I was young to tackle anyone, even the greatest King of Camelot, if I am given an opportunity. Right now, honestly, this opportunity seems tempting.”

Benedict scowled and threw his hands away, but he made no move to run away. “What more do you want?” he asked, his question more directed at Meredith. “Didn’t I clearly tell you not to show yourself to me ever again?”

She flinched at his words, and he somehow felt regretful. But, there was no time for that; he was so confused with everything that was unfolding before his eyes. He was a simple blacksmith, blast it all. Then, these people came, claiming he was the king to a blasted kingdom. Right now, being a blacksmith was far more enjoyable than being king, in his opinion.

“Benedict, please…” she murmured, but he turned away. At the corner of his eyes, Benedict saw the hurt that appeared on Meredith's face again.

 _‘Get a grip, Ben,’_ he told himself, trying his best not to waver at her eyes. Meredith made him feel weird things ever since she arrived, and he hated it. “I refuse to listen to whatever you want to say,” he darkly murmured under his breath. He was tired, and he just wanted to sleep on his cot.

“Camelot needs their real King!” Arthur suddenly roared, much to his surprise. Benedict swiveled around and Arthur took big strides until he was standing right in front of him. The bodyguard was furious, his eyes wide with disappointment at the attitude he was showing. “And you should stop being such a selfish _bastard_ because that is not the Arthur that I know.” An angry vein popped at his temple, then he continued, “Trust me, I, of all people, should bloody hell know that, you twat!”

Benedict was outraged at his accusations, about to retort something back, but his eyes landed on a now crying Merlin. He deflated, bothered with her tears, and sighed.

“Please, Benedict, please,” she pleaded, taking a few steps forward. “You are our only hope.” Meredith paused and hugged herself, her beseeching eyes never leaving his face. “Don’t you remember your knights? Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan…?”

He frowned. Those names seemed familiar to him.

“How about Morgana? Guinevere?” That last name brought a painful clench in his heart, and he was driven to look away. Why were those names oh so familiar to him.

“And Merlin?”

Her voice was so soft, carried by the passing breeze, which brushed against Benedict’s ear, and he flinched. His eyes widened at that name, his head whipping back at her so fast, with a mixture of confusion and recognition on his face. That name… he’d heard that name in his dreams before, but he could never attach a face on that name. Perhaps, they have an answer to that great mystery to him.

Meredith paused and wiped her tears away. “Please, don’t you want to see them again?” she continued. “Oh Benedict… _Arthur_.” She corrected his name with hesitation, gauging his reaction. Now, he understood why she called him by that name on the first day they met in the village market. “You are destined to be the greatest leader Albion ever had. Do you want to just thwart that away?”

“I just… I just want to go home,” she said, voice small with tiredness and fear. “A lot of people there are waiting for me and I don’t want to disappoint them. I hope you feel the same way, too.”

Benedict looked away, strange feelings blossoming in his heart. He did not want to divulge it to these strangers, but he always felt longing for something he did not know. Perhaps, it was this kingdom that they spoke fervently about.

A splitting headache was once again forming in his temples. Through pained eyes, he could see their eyes, imploring him to understand. But Benedict was tired; the information he was presented with was just too overwhelming. He needed some time, to think, to ponder about everything they had said.

Thus, with one last glance, he wordlessly turned his back from them and ran away from the forest once more.

This time, Arthur did not stop him.


	30. An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin thinks she had lost this particular skill but Gaius and Arthur insist she tries nonetheless.

“I’ll be back,” Arthur promised as he quickly jogged back to their inn.

He and Gaius were out buying some food and other resources they deemed necessary during their flight. They, together with Merlin, all agreed that Arthur should steer clear from the village of Wells to avoid more confusion in case they crossed paths with Benedict. Thankfully, the people here in the nearby village did not even given Arthur a passing glance; he was safe to roam around, although he still wore his cloak just in case he had to quickly hide.

As he travelled back to his inn to fish out some more money for their shopping, Arthur’s mind brought him back to Camelot. Last night, a letter from Gwaine was delivered to him. He stated that Camelot was still suffering greatly under Morgana’s reign. Elyan fell sick from all the torture and they needed Gaius desperately back in the kingdom.

 _“I know you are doing all you can, but we must make haste, sire,”_ Gwaine penned, and Arthur was gripped once more with sudden urgency.

At night, he often dreamt of Camelot in ruins. He dreamt of his people dying, of his knights doing their best fighting off their enemies, and he dreamt that he was merely standing stock-still, helplessly watching as his beloved kingdom crumbled before his eyes. Gaius would often shake him awake due to his screams, and proceeded to wordlessly offer him some Sleeping Draught. The Court Physician did not have to inquire him what he was dreaming about. His face already screamed his despair for leaving Camelot to think of a better plan for reclaimation.

Soon, Arthur arrived in their inn. The owner, a kind, old man, albeit a drunkard, greeted him with a slur. Arthur sighed, feeling sorry for the poor man’s liver, before returning his greeting and trudging to his room.

It surprised him to see that it was currently occupied. Merlin was sitting on his bed once more, eyes distant and unseeing. Arthur cautiously approached her, but it seemed like the princess still had not noticed his arrival.

“What are you doing here?” he then asked, announcing his presence.

She jumped slightly on her seat, eyes wide as she looked at Arthur. The bodyguard sheepishly smiled when she glared at his intrusion, but her glare quickly disappeared. Replaced was a thoughtful look on her face once more. “I was thinking,” she explained with a sigh. “And waiting for your return.” She looked over his shoulders and frowned. “Where’s Gaius?”

“I left him in the market,” he explained. “We were buying necessities, in case we are on the run once more. I came to get more money.”

Merlin merely nodded her head. Patting the space beside her, she said with a smile, “Come sit beside me first, Arthur.”

He wordlessly obliged and sat down as close to the princess as possible. Their thighs were touching and he could feel his face flushing with their proximity. It had been a while ever since he’d been alone with Princess Merlin, and honestly, he missed her so.

Arthur then observed the somber princess, noticing the dark bags under her eyes. Mildly amused, he knew the Queen would have a fit upon seeing those offending bags marring her daughter’s beautiful face.

Merlin would also constantly sigh, and Arthur had this inkling she was thinking deeply about his past reincarnation. Benedict still had not budged; he even made himself scarce when Merlin tried to talk to him once more. The Once and Future King could be bullheaded if he wanted to, Arthur actually felt ashamed because he, too, could be like that at times.

“You shouldn’t worry too much, your highness,” he lightly said, worried that she would make herself sick with all the thinking she did. He needed her healthy, especially because they still had to knock some sense into a king, to find a missing powerful sorcerer, and to reclaim a kingdom.

To his surprise, she gave him a dark glare. “How can you be so calm, Arthur?” she accused, snapping a little too quickly. “Camelot is under Morgana’s reign!”

> King Arthur, affronted, returned back her glare. If he was to describe what he was feeling right now, it would most definitely not be _calm_. “I am under a lot of pressure myself, _Mer_ lin, thank you very much,” he bit back, annoyed that she was judging him when he had been in turmoil for days. “I have been their king for months, Merlin. _Months_. You have no right to accuse me of something I am nowhere feeling.”

She immediately realized her error for her eyes widened a little. “I… I’m sorry,” she quietly mumbled back, cheeks stained with red, embarrassed with her outburst. “I was selfish to think that I am only the one suffering right now, Arthur.” She earnestly looked back at him, eyes shining with remorse. “I’m sorry, Arthur.”

The anger he felt instantly dissipated. He could not blame the princess, really. All these stressful events that were happening right now were enough to make one irate. It did not help that Benedict was not cooperating at all, when he most likely held the key to all the questions that had been running inside their heads ever since they arrived here in Camelot.

Racking his brain for some comforting words, Arthur said, “Look, like what I told him last night, I should be the one who know him of all people.” He paused, offering her a small smile. “I am positively sure that Benedict will soon accept that he is the king.”

Despite his stubbornness, Arthur knew he and his reincarnations do not turn their backs away from their responsibilities. He just hoped that Benedict would crack soon and cooperate with them.

“Positive?” Merlin asked, returning his smile with her own.

King Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, maybe that was a bit too hopeful,” he said. “But I promise you, he will realize the truth, one way or another. I know patience isn’t really our strongest trait, but I guess, that is the only thing we have to hold on to right now.”

The princess gave him a pretty smile that made his breath hitch. To his utmost surprise, she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and held him close. “I’ve actually forgotten how much comfort you give me, Arthur, no matter what the circumstances are.” She buried her head at the nape of his neck and took a deep breath. “I missed you.”

Fondly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he murmured, “I missed you, too.”

Merlin grinned, cheeks already flushed with emotions, and pulled away from him. For a while, her eyes searched his face. One of her hand gingerly cupped the side of his cheek and, leaning down, she bestowed a kiss on his lips.

Raging emotions thudded in his heart. He expelled a soft sigh of contentment, marveling how this simple actions from Merlin could already bring thunderous feelings inside his heart.

“I missed you, too,” he murmured once more, leaning closer as he captured her lips once more.

* * *

“I think I have an idea,” Gaius suddenly proclaimed one time as the three of them were once again lounging in their rented inn.

Merlin’s ears perked up with his claim, eagerly awaiting whatever Gaius was going to say.

It had been at least two days, and yet, Benedict still avoided her like she was the plague herself. Emily and her family sorely missed Merlin, asking where she was bounding off to god knows where, especially when she kept on coming home late.

 _“I’m sorry, I have important matters to attend to,”_ she excused, apologetically looking at the kind family who took her in. 

“What is it, Gaius?” Arthur urged, also expectantly looking at the Court Physician.

Gaius started to pace, deep in thought. “Normally, I would have offered some pieces of advice,” he said, eyebrows coming together in frustration. “But forgive me, but I am short of wise words right now.”

Princess Merlin slumped down on her seat, feeling hopeless. If Gaius did not have a solution to their problem right now, it was worrisome. She had always believed that Gaius would know what to do, no matter what the situation was. But, even the kind physician was at a loss of what to do.

“But,” he quickly continued. Merlin straightened her back in surprise, detecting the hopeful tone in his voice. Gaius then stared directly into Merlin’s eyes, a small smile on his face. “I think I know who can help us.”

Both Arthur and Merlin looked at him questioningly, still having no inkling as to who Gaius was talking about. The Court Physician sighed at their cluelessness and sat back down on his stool. “When my ward needed answers, he always called for the help of Kilgharrah.”

With a jolt of remembrance, Merlin and Arthur asked in unison, “The dragon?”

Gaius nodded his head, relieved that they remembered him. “During times of distress, he is the one who could give answers.” He paused , tilting his head at the side, as he still steadily looked at Merlin. “Perhaps, it is time that we ask for his help.”

Merlin’s eyes widened with his suggestion. “Well…” she said, a little hesitant. “I’m not quite sure about that.”

The fact was, it had been _centuries_. In their modern time, dragons were already extinct to the point that people firmly believed they were creatures of myth. Although she knew that the blood of the last dragonlord was coursing through her veins, she had no idea if she still could call for the dragon.

“He has a point, Merlin,” Arthur urged, a hopeful smile blooming on his face. “We could at least try.”

Princess Merlin sighed, still slightly doubting Gaius’ idea. “All right,” she said, absentmindedly fiddling with her ring around her neck. “Don’t get your hopes up, though!”

* * *

They were all deep in the woods, so as not to risk getting caught. She was to summon a great dragon, after all. If he heeded her call, it would be catastrophic if a dragon suddenly swooped down into their rented inn.

They all agreed to put their plan into action by night. Darkness was a nice disguise. Merlin clearly remembered Kilgharrah’s scales to be as black as night itself; he would blend quite well in the night if he were to appear. Merlin would very much not want to be subjected into another stake, thank you very much.

“Go on,” Arthur urged. He and Gaius took a few steps back, while Merlin took a deep, nervous breath.

She tried to recall the incantation uttered by Original Merlin to call for Kilgharrah. _‘Come on, Merlin,’_ she mentally cheered. Arthur and Gaius were expectantly looking at her, and she was not even sure if this would work! It was only Original Merlin who had a dragon friend, after all. If her memory did not fail her, his succeeding reincarnations did not have a dragon as a confidante. She was afraid her dragonlady skill might be rusty, or _worse_ , gone.

Princess Merlin tried to swallow the lump lodged in her throat. She should not fail Arthur and Gaius, now that they finally had a better plan to bring back Benedict.

“Well, here goes nothing,” she murmured, a tad uncomfortable. She shifted lightly on her spot and took a deep breath. She recalled all the times Merlin called for Kilgharrah. She recalled how he felt, how his magic mightily stirred with raw power, the incantation spilling from his mouth.

 _“O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!_ **[1]** ,” his words ringing into her ears, words that seemed real to her. It was only when her eyes flashed a blinding shade of gold when she realized that she had exclaimed the exact words that the legendary sorcerer said.

Wide-eyed, she turned to Arthur. His expression mirrored hers, surprised that her voice could be mighty. The gold in her eyes was starting to fade back to her original blue.

They all waited in bated breath. The forest suddenly became too eerily silent, as if deafened by Merlin’s sudden booming voice.

She strained her ear for any indication of wings or roar. Her heart thudded noisily inside her ribcage, and then much to her great excitement and relief, great flapping of wings reached her ears. An ominous figure of the Great Dragon obscured the moon, momentarily bathing the whole forest into total darkness, before he swooped down and gracefully landed at the large clearing in front of the princess.

Merlin was too dumbfounded with words. She had seen images of dragons in her books back home, but to see one in the flesh? Words had left her all together. Kilgharrah looked mightier than the last time she could remember, and if dragons could have normal human facial expressions, she bet he would be sporting an amazed look on his face.

“I… cannot deny that I am astonished,” the dragon greeted, his voice rumbling all throughout the forest. His golded eyes stared intently into Merlin, before they swept away to land on the frozen form of Arthur. “Astonishing, indeed!”

His gaze returned back on the still-mute princess and continued, “Young sorcerer, or if I may, young _sorceress_ , your presence here, together with your companion, is an interesting turn of events. I must confess, but I think this is not supposed to happen.”

Merlin cleared her voice, finally snapping back from her initial shock. “I-I’m sure you’ve felt a magical shift when we arrived, old friend,” Merlin said, a huge beam now growing on her face. Memories of Kilgharrah, and his help, came rushing back into her and she was too overwhelmed.

“Ah, indeed I did,” the Great Dragon drawled. Soft rumbles escaped from his mouth and Merlin realized, with wide eyes, that he was chuckling. “Why am I summoned, sorceress, and by a descendant of the original Merlin, no less?”

“We need your help,” the princess explained, quietly stepping forward. “Morgana had once again done something sinister. She bewitched the original king to lose his memory and place him in this village.” She somberly looked down at her feet. “Even Merlin himself is missing still.”

The dragon looked pensive for a moment. All the humor and astonishment were completely gone now. “I had feared what the implications were when I felt that powerful shift in magic on the day of your arrival,” he continued, voice tired for a wise creature like him. “A rift between the destiny of Merlin and the Once and Future King formed because of this sudden turn of events.” He pointedly looked at her once more. “You are not supposed to be here.”

“We know that,” she snapped, growing impatient. She ran a hand through her tresses in frustration and sighed. “We still have no idea why we are here, really.”

He peered at her curiously for a while, swooping his humongous head as he looked around at Merlin at all angles. “Perhaps,” he continued, “the reason why you are reincarnated here is because it is your task, as present reincarnations, to bring the balance back to your destinies.”

Merlin pursed her lips, already having this inkling that the sole purpose why they were reincarnated in the future was to save their original counterparts. But, to hear them uttered by the great and powerful dragon himself, she was stupefied. The weight of their tasks hung heavily on her shoulders and she took a sharp intake of breath, overwhelmed.

“Maybe you can help us locate Merlin,” she then said, hope lacing her words. If there was one who had a deep connection with Merlin besides Arthur, it was Kilgharrah. “You have a magical connection with him, right? Maybe you know where he is right now.”

To her utmost dismay, Kilgharrah expelled a sigh, a puff of smoke following suit. “I am afraid the High Priestess used a powerful spell, concealing Merlin from both the eyes of magical and non-magical being,” he confessed, sounding apologetic. “Merlin’s presence in my mind is dormant, as if he is in a deep slumber.”

An image of a sleeping Merlin, frozen in the icy room, resurfaced in her mind. “I’ve been having dreams,” she explained. “Snippets, even, of a slumbering Merlin, frozen, and nowhere to be found. They are recurrent, Kilgharrah, but they make no sense to me! I cannot locate him.”

She was silenced with her frustration, growing impatient and despaired because, despite having all the possible resources, they still could not find her original counterpart. She just wanted to go home.

To the surprise of Merlin and Kilgharrah, Arthur took a few, cautious steps forward. The dragon’s eyes landed on his form, and curiously peered at the king.

“We found the original Arthur,” he proclaimed, voice cracking a bit with nervousness. “But, like what Merlin said, his mind was tampered with, most likely by Morgana. We believe that Arthur holds the key to the discovery of Merlin’s whereabouts.”

“Hmm…” the dragon, rumbled, falling into a deep thought once more. “I believe you are both aware of the place called the Cauldron of Arianrhod.”

Understanding appeared on both Arthur and Merlin’s faces simultaneously. How could they forget? This was the place where Gwen was cleansed from Morgana’s mind-controlling powers.

Merlin gasped, excitedly exclaiming, “In order for Morgana’s curse to lift from Benedict’s mind, he must be cleansed in the Cauldron!” If she could dance victoriously right now, she could have, if not from the eyes of the dragon intently on her form.

“Yes,” Kilgharrah affirmed, his head bobbing up and down. “But, I must warn you once more. The Once and Future King must willingly go, else, he will forever be imprisoned in his life of lie.”

Her excitement lessened loads, remembering that Benedict was still avoiding her and he seemed determined to stay as a blacksmith forevermore.

“We will keep that in mind, Kilgharrah,” she said, deflating a little. “But thank you, for everything, Kilgharrah. We would have been stuck in one place if not for your help.”

“Why would I not help you, young sorceress?” he asked, his wings now spread wide as he readied to take flight. “You have this blood of the last dragonlord, after all.”

With that, he took off, the great flapping of his wings deafening.

They all watched, silent for a while, until the unmistakable sound of Kilgharrah’s wings disappeared.

“Well,” Merlin finally said, a small smile on her face, “I believe we have a king to cleanse.”

* * *

**[1] O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes! - O dragon, permit the appeal for an audience to speak here, fierce, wise-minded one.**


	31. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bodyguard Arthur tries to put some sense in still Stubborn Benedict.

Benedict felt strange today.

It was eerily peaceful and painstakingly _uneventful_. His eyes trained intently on his door, expecting for Meredith to burst into the room and proclaim those absurdities from that pretty mouth of hers. But, no one came in, and he actually felt disappointed.

 _‘Look at you,’_ he thought with a scoff, going back to pounding the sword in his hand.

Ever since Meredith and the strangers, Arthur and Gaius, came here in Wells, things had been spiraling out of control. Especially, that _Arthur_ – it was undeniable that they looked exactly the same and it did not help with his uneasiness.

Benedict already accepted his fate of amnesia and blacksmithery. When he came here in Northumbria, famished and disoriented, numerous questions raced in his mind. It was frustrating, however, that no one could provide him the answers that he needed. Even the people here do not recognize him at all, and just accepted him as the poor bloke who lost his memories. With the presence of these strangers though, perhaps finally…?

 _‘Dangerous thoughts, Benedict, dangerous thoughts,’_ he thought, frowning as he paused in his activity. He felt a little guilty on how he treated the strangers, especially Meredith, who had been nothing but nice to him ever since she arrived here. He always believed she was strange, having that constant knowing look in her eyes, and he had been tempted numerous times to ask her if she knew something he did not. Now that the truth was revealed to him, he somehow felt regretful he was even tempted to ask.

He liked being a blacksmith. It was satisfying to pound on the sword, mold it until to his liking, and make his customers happy with the work he did. He would never admit it to Meredith, though, that sometimes, he found this activity unfulfilling.

 _‘A king?’_ he thought. Just the mere idea of it was ridiculous for Benedict. Camelot was a kingdom that seldom escaped from the mouths of the villagers, but familiar all the same. The time travelers expected him to go back with them and assume his role as king. Benedict expected different for himself, something more meaningful than being a simple blacksmith, but not _this_. It was all too much.

A knock from the door made him frown. Peeking outside his window, he could see that the moon was high up in the sky. People would have normally gone to bed by now. Benjamin was already asleep, too.

The knock resounded once more, and he cautiously stepped forward. Wryly, he smiled. If this was Meredith, he’d roll his eyes in exasperation. The girl did not know when to give up, apparently.

But then, the person standing outside the small shop was not someone he expected at all. For a moment, Benedict merely stared, still not used to the fact that someone roaming around in this world looked _exactly_ like him.

“May I come in?” Arthur asked, and Benedict wordlessly stepped aside.

He felt weird looking at him, like he was his own reflection, and the blacksmith could detect that the traveler was also uncomfortable.

Arthur was silent for a while, and Benedict returned to his sword. The stranger watched him as he pounded a few more times, before dousing the hot sword into a basin of water.

Benedict gave him a sideway glance. Although their claim of being time travelers seemed utterly ridiculous, it was the only plausible explanation as to why Arthur was here right now with him. Unless, he had a long lost twin, which was equally ridiculous, in his opinion.

“You are a good blacksmith,” Arthur finally quipped, breaking the tension between the two. “But I am sure that you are a better wielder, not a maker.”

The blacksmith spared him a glance, thoughtful. He always felt comforted holding a sword, and wondered if in his origins he was actually a swordsman. Seeing that he was the King of Camelot, his thoughts were true, as he was undoubtedly the best swordsman in the Five Kingdoms.

“Camelot is in shambles,” Arthur continued. The tension was built once more with his claim.

“I know,” he replied, frowning. “You and Meredith have been constantly telling me that.”

Arthur mirrored his frown and sat down on one of the stools in the workshop. “There is a _war_ , Benedict,” he said, “and the people need you. You need to claim it back. Morgana is on the loose and she is now wreaking havoc to the kingdom.” He paused, took a deep breath, and turned beseeching. “Please, the people need _you_.”

“You’re pretending as king in my stead, yes?” he snarled, suddenly feeling irritated. “Why the hell did you leave it then? If you so love this kingdom?”

He knew he struck a nerve for Arthur’s face darkened with emotions he could not begin to describe.

“You have no _idea_ what I had to go through just to protect that blasted kingdom,” he bit back as reply, eyes dangerously flashing. “Do not patronize me.”

Benedict sighed and tiredly shook his head. “From what you’ve told me with the state of Camelot, I think it is best if we leave everything up to fate.” He was exhausted and he did not want this conversation anymore. Arthur was persistent, however.

“You are destined to be something great and I am sure _fate_ does not just end like this,” Arthur pressed on. “Benedict… no, _Arthur_ , your people needs you.” He made a move to protest, but Arthur did not let him finish. “I know you are confused, but we are here to help. All I am asking is for you to look deep into your heart and _listen_ to what it truly wants to say.”

Arthur sighed and stood up from his stool, taking a few steps closer to Benedict. “Destiny is too powerful to deny, trust me. And only an equally great, even greater power, could alter this.” A dark chuckle escaped from his lips, the humor absent. “Morgana maybe a bloody powerful bitch, but I’m sure she’s nowhere near powerful than your destiny.”

Benedict looked away from his hard long stare, at loss of what to do.

“If ever you change your mind, we will be waiting in the forest tomorrow, before dusk,” Arthur said in finality. He strolled closer to the door, meaning to leave. Before he could open the door, he gave Benedict one last glance. “Meredith is needed home. She has a responsibility to uphold back in our time and unlike _others_ , she does not wish to run away.”

He finally left the blacksmith alone with his tumultuous thoughts.

Benedict was tired, so tired, but he needed answers, too.

* * *

“Are you sure he will come?” Merlin demanded for the umpteenth time, eyes nervously gazing from Arthur back to the town.

“Calm down, dear girl,” Gaius said, amused with her antics, but Merlin could _not_ calm down.

She, Arthur, and Gaius were currently in the outskirts of the forest outside Northumbria, somewhere near the spot where they told Benedict the truth about his identity. Arthur had run off one night, according to Gaius, and when he came back, the pretend king all ordered for them to get ready for a travel to the Cauldron of Arianrhood.

Merlin had doubts, especially because the sun had now completely set and Benedict was still nowhere to be found. Arthur instructed for him to arrive before dusk, but seeing that there were no forms that resembled Benedict at all, her hope started to waver.

“I think it’s too early for us to go to the Cauldron,” she said with a frown, darting a light glare at her bodyguard.

It did not slip her notice that Arthur rolled his eyes at her. Affronted, she made a move to reprimand him, but the king already sighed. “I’ve seen his look, princess,” he calmly said, face devoid of any panic that was clearly etched on her face. “He will come.”

She suspiciously looked at him, wondering what he could have possibly told Benedict that finally made him agree to come with the lot. Merlin had met the true king countless times already, but she never managed to crack him until he relented and accepted that he was the long lost King Arthur Pendragon.

Such thoughts kept running in her mind until shuffling of footsteps caught her attention. She readied herself, her magic crackling up to her fingertips in case this was an intruder. But, as Benedict’s face finally came closer to the three of them, a disbelieving smile stretched on her lips.

The blacksmith still looked highly doubtful, but he shot a brief look at Arthur, and then to Merlin. Benedict was fidgety, silent for a while, before speaking, “Well… I am here.” He weakly gestured at himself. “Although I still somehow think this is a load of dollop, I… I am absolutely _curious_.”

A wide beam appeared on Arthur’s face, making Benedict more uncomfortable. “Sure you are,” Arthur said, patting him on the back. Arthur turned to her, still stunned from his appearance. “I told you he will come.”

Merlin blinked, wide-eyed, as he stared at the blacksmith. Benedict flushed in embarrassment under her gaze and weakly smiled.

“I believe we should get going now,” the Court Physician suddenly piped in. His eyes shone, highly amused with the image of two Arthurs before his eyes. “The journey to the Cauldron of Arianrhood will be a long one.” Gaius cautiously walked closer to Benedict. “I trust you know how to ride a horse, sire?”

She could see that he was surprised with the address. “Err… I guess?” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll see once I mount on it, I presume.”

Gaius and Arthur, prior to their meeting here in the forest, ‘bought’ four horses for their small journey. If stealing in the dead of the night and leaving some schillings on the ground for the owner to find was deemed as buying, then Merlin would just accept it. After all, it would be such a pain and a waste of time to travel by foot.

They mounted on their horses and trotted in the dark. Benedict soon found that he could actually ride a horse, much to his surprise. “I’ve never really been on one when I came here in Northumbria,” he confessed, still astonished with his skill.

Arthur deemed it more fitting for them to travel in the dark for two reasons. First, this would eliminate the amount of bandits that could block their path to the Cauldron. And secondly, and most importantly, this would lessen Benedict’s chance of escaping because of the darkness in the forest.

 _“We cannot force him,”_ Merlin admonished.

Her bodyguard laughed. _“But that does not mean he can go off lightly.”_

The princess sighed, sneaking a glance at the silent blacksmith. Gaius and Arthur were trudging up front, so Merlin was stuck beside Benedict. He had not uttered a word to her ever since they started their journey, and she wondered if he was starting to regret coming with them.

“If you have something to say, speak,” Benedict suddenly said, surprising her.

Merlin sheepishly smiled, a little ashamed she was caught staring. “If… if you are going against your will,” she started, refusing to think that he _was_ , “then I think our journey will be futile, Benedict.”

Benedict sighed and gave her a glance. “This is all very confusing for me, Meredith,” he replied. “But he,” – he nodded at Arthur’s back – “seemed intent for me to come whether I like it or not, and I have no choice. Besides, I’m a tad curious with all that hogwash you kept on drilling in my mind. I thought… maybe no harm will be done if what you all say is true.”

“I’ve been with a lot of Arthurs all of my life, and I think that answer is very un- _Arthur_ ,” she replied, earning her a smile from his direction.

Benedict looked at her strangely for a while, before spouting, “Meredith isn’t really your name, is it?”

She slowly nodded her head, trying to gauge his reaction. “No,” she whispered. “My name is Merlin.”

He flinched once more with the name, just as how he reacted the first time she spoke that name to him. His eyes widened a little as he stared back at her. “I… _figured_ ,” he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “I’m not really sure why, but you give me this weird, fuzzy feeling in my chest.” Merlin lightly blushed with his comment. “I felt the same when I heard that name, Merlin…” He trailed off, making a face at how strange he must have felt for uttering the name for the first time.

Merlin smiled, heart swelling because despite his amnesia, the Once and Future King still understood the deep connection he had with his manservant. “From now on, please call me ‘Merlin’, your highness,” she said. Benedict merely nodded his head in reply.

Arthur soon decided to camp out for the night, having been exhausted from travelling.

As Merlin prepared to unmount from her horse, she saw at the corner of her eyes how Benedict made a move to assist her. But, Arthur was there before he did, his hands already on the sides of her hip.

Princess Merlin blushed at how easily he carried her down, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. Arthur was close, her nose almost a hairsbreadth away from his chin, and realizing their proximity darkened her cheeks more. It made her smile, however, when she noticed that she had the same effect on Arthur.

Throughout this small gesture, Benedict was thoughtfully looking at them. Perhaps, Merlin thought, Benedict would sooner or later find out that she and Arthur were romantically-linked. If ever he got his memories back, she predicted a probable heart attack from the Original Arthur. And quite possibly from Original Merlin, too.

* * *

They finally arrived in the Cauldron of Arianrhood during the time when the sun was at its peak. The group started to travel once more just as soon as sunrise came, and after travelling for hours, they had finally arrived at the familiar magical lake.

Arthur shot Benedict a look, who was as white as a sheet. “Here in this place, you must swim into to wash away whatever mind-controlling magic Morgana placed you on,” the bodyguard said, gesturing at the glistening waters. If he squinted more, he could have seen a certain ethereal glow that no ordinary body of water could ever possess.

The blacksmith absentmindedly nodded, still lost in his thoughts.

King Arthur sighed, understanding the nervousness he felt. “Arthur,” he called, and it took Benedict a full minute to realize the bodyguard was addressing him. “If you are unwilling to do this, be warned. You will forever be Benedict, and we cannot help you, nor Camelot, anymore.”

The hesitation on Benedict’s face completely cleared up. Replaced by it was sheer determination, and Arthur actually felt proud.

“No,” Benedict said. “I want to do this.”

He looked at him, and then at Merlin for a while, before taking a deep breath and finally wading into the water. Arthur remembered remnants of Gwen, also walking into the water, as light finally engulfed her and she was back to her right state of mind. Those were dark times for the Original Arthur; the lingering fear of losing Gwen was still in his heart.

The same bright light engulfed Benedict’s form and he waited with bated breath. As soon as the light disappeared, Benedict was void of any emotion. His eyes staring intently into them, he slowly waded back into land.

“Who… who are you?” Merlin shakily asked, trying to see if it worked or not. Arthur had his eyes trained intently on him, praying to the heavens above that what Kilgharrah said was true and King Arthur was back.

For minutes, Benedict was silent, until the blacksmith spoke, “I am King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, and I have a manservant to find.”


	32. The Slip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Arthur sheds some light on the events that led to their disappearance.

“So, time travelers, huh?” Original Arthur asked as they camped out near the banks of the Cauldron.

After Benedict, or now more fittingly Arthur, regained his memory back, they all were too physically and emotional drained to continue their journey. Bread and a block of cheese were passed around as they hungrily munched on to their lunch.

His manservant’s female reincarnation and his mirror image nodded their heads in unison, prompting him to shake his head in disbelief.

“How can you explain this, Gaius?” the king asked, gesturing at the seemingly anomaly in front of him. “I mean, two mes!”

The Court Physician chuckled with his exasperation. “I, too, am surprised, sire,” Gaius replied. “But, it is good that you are finally back.”

King Arthur sighed, still warily gazing at the travelers. “I’ve seen a lot of magic in Camelot and Albion as a whole, generally,” he continued, “but this is the first time I came across time travelers. And with my future _reincarnation_ , no less.”

“You’ll get used to it,” the other Arthur drawled, a small smile on his face. “It just feels weird to see you pulling the same expression as I do.”

“Does this mean I have to save both of your arses now?” the princess playfully whined, earning her a light glare from her companion. “No offense, but from whatever century Arthur is, trouble follows.”

King Arthur looked at Merlin with interest in his eyes. “And you always have to swoop down and save the day, yes?” he asked, equally playful, but Merlin nodded her head in vehemence. He wondered how his gangly manservant could have saved him when he always cowered like a girl when danger was ahead. _‘Maybe,’_ he thought, _‘that was why he was a_ girl _right now_.’

He lightly blushed, remembering how his Morgana-addled mind thought that she was _pretty_. How _Merlin was pretty_. All the color soon drained from his face as he digested this fact.

“Now that you have your memory back,” Merlin piped in, “I think it is time to shed some light on my original counterpart’s whereabouts.”

He frowned, remembering that they told him that his manservant was still nowhere to be found. “Everything is still not clear,” he said, “But this is what I remember.”

* * *

**[Flashback]**

He could see that his manservant was disgruntled once more that they were hunting for innocent animals, but King Arthur did not care. He was currently under stress back in his kingdom, with Agravaine constantly breathing down his neck, and the persisting fact that he was hopelessly in love with Guinevere and he could not do anything about it. He just wanted to break free from them all for a while, and he deemed hunting as a good breather.

“You idiot,” the king growled, as Merlin had scared off another deer when he loudly released all of Arthur’s belongings. “Don’t be such a girl, _Mer_ lin.” Somehow, he had this inkling that his manservant was doing this on purpose so that he would not kill any fauna.

“Sorry, sire,” Merlin said, a tad innocently, thus strengthening his suspicion he was doing everything on purpose.

Arthur sighed and continued his perusal. He had no time for Merlin’s antics today.

It had been years ever since he became king, and Arthur was starting to doubt if he could handle the responsibilities given to him. He regretted his younger years, foolishly brazen as he engaged in sword fights hither thither, earning him the title of the greatest swordsman in the Five Kingdoms. He should have focused more on politics, and maybe economics, because honestly speaking, there were times when the council spoke seemingly foreign words to him. Agravaine was a great help to him, with the lord equipped more with knowledge that Arthur seriously lacked.

 _‘I should really catch up on my reading,’_ he mentally thought, mindlessly releasing an arrow from his crossbow. The deer that was in front of them keeled over, its scrawny hooves giving under with the sudden impact of the arrow. It was dead in minutes, and he saw Merlin make a face.

“I’d never get used to this,” his manservant murmured, more to himself, and Arthur smirked. He was always such a girl, face paling every time he saw death and blood. He would never make a great knight, he mused.

Arthur contemplated whether to leave the poor game behind. _‘This can be added to our food donations,’_ he thought, grimacing as he imagined annoying Sir Blythe loudly protesting about the dwindling supply of the castle’s food storage. It was _full_ , from what he remembered, and it was enough to last him a century. Sir Blythe could be really melodramatic sometimes.

“Let’s bring that deer back to the kingdom,” he finally decided, eyes blinking as he stared at Merlin. The problem was, his manservant was not where he was a minute ago.

“Merlin?” he called, eyebrows coming together in confusion. He was _positive_ Merlin had been beside him just a while ago! “Where did you run off to now?”

Arthur aimlessly walked in search of his manservant. He gazed back at the deer, hoping that no predator would snatch it off, but to his utmost surprise, the deer was gone, too. Cursing darkly under his breath, he swore it was just there.

When he gazed ahead, Arthur noticed the sudden change in the forest. It seemed drearier; he clearly remembered the sun was at its peak, sunlight showering all throughout the forest. He had been hunting for years, and he somehow memorized the whole forest like the back of his hand. This place looked foreign to him, however.

“Merlin!” he finally exclaimed, a mixture of relief and irritation at the tone of his voice. His manservant whipped his head around at his voice, and Arthur frowned at the sheer panic on his face. “You do realize you caused me some good meat, you idiot.”

“Sire,” his manservant said, as calmly as possible. His face betrayed him, though, for the panic never left him. “I want you to turn back around.”

Arthur’s irritation completely disappeared, replaced by confusion. “What has gotten into you, Merlin?” he asked, suspicious.

“You really shouldn’t be here.”

The king’s eyes widened upon hearing the unmistakable voice of his uncle. “Agravaine,” he asked, turning his eyes on the lord. At the corner of his eyes, he could see Merlin bristling. His manservant never voiced it aloud, but Arthur knew how Agravaine made Merlin uncomfortable. “What are you doing here?”

"My dear nephew, I apologize in advance,” he said, a sarcastic smile growing on his face. Before Arthur could even react, Agravaine lunged at Merlin and knocked him off with great agility.

“MERLIN!” Arthur roared, looking at his uncle in disbelief. His hand was immediately on his hilt, about to unsheathe his sword.

“Hello, Arthur.”

His blood ran cold. Turning slowly around, Morgana was standing right in front of him.

“You!” he cried, enraged that she was here, enraged that _Agravaine_ clearly betrayed him.

Arthur drew his sword, but Morgana was quicker. Her palm was suddenly on his forehead and soon, everything around him turned black.

* * *

“That’s a start,” Bodyguard Arthur offered upon seeing Merlin’s disappointed look. “At least we know that it really was Morgana who did all these.”

Merlin sighed and gave him a pointed look. “I think we’ve established that even before finding King Arthur,” she snapped, annoyed that there was still no clear indication as to where Merlin was. It annoyed her that Morgana had to attacked Arthur first. If only he was able to at least see what Morgana did to his manservant.

“I’m sorry, but that is all I could remember,” the king said, regretfully looking at Merlin.

“You say that you were brought to a strange place when all this debacle happened, right?” When King Arthur nodded, Bodyguard Arthur continued, “Well, maybe we can find some clue in that place? I’m sure that despite all the magic that Morgana had casted, there would surely be remnants there.”

He had a point, and Merlin was forever grateful her bodyguard was a smart-ass. “But it’s in the Darkling Woods,” she pointed out. “It would take us _days_. And not to mention, it is _dangerous_. I’m sure Morgana had appointed some of her cronies to guard the nearby forest just in case the king returns.”

“But it is the only way,” he offered, prompting her to sigh.

Merlin shot a look at Gaius, who merely shrugged his shoulders. “He has a point, lass,” he answered.

“Oh, all right,” she said, begrudgingly accepting. “It would be _dangerous_ , and knowing how furiously blinded you both are when it comes to fiercely protecting Camelot…” She let her words falter, rolling her eyes when the two Arthurs shared an amused look. “Morgana used a powerful spell, I’m sure about it. There should be some residual magic, even until now, and if I feel it, I’ll let you know.”

The real king looked at her dubiously. “And how, if I may ask, will you do that,” he inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

Merlin missed the suspicious look he gave her and the warning ones on her bodyguard and Gaius. “Well, I’m _Merlin_ ,” she said, gesturing wildly to herself. “I am the greatest sorcerer slash sorceress the world has ever seen. If there is someone who could save that sorry arse of yours, sire, please excuse my language, it would be _me_.”

When all the color drained from King Arthur’s face, Merlin finally remembered that during this time, Arthur still had no idea how great the power his manservant possessed.

“Oops,” she weakly offered, sheepishly smiling at his future counterpart. She could not be blamed, really. The timeline here was messed up. The attack of the Southrons were _too_ early. Besides, Morgana already knew that Merlin was Emrys, which was most likely the reason why she locked him up in god-knows-where. She just assumed that Arthur here also knew of Merlin’s magic. Apparently, she was wrong.

King Arthur’s face suddenly turned red with emotions she could not understand. He did a double take and expectantly looked at Gaius. The Court Physician sighed in disappointment, shaking his head at her with her disastrous slip.

Merlin helplessly looked at her bodyguard, but he merely glared at her for her carelessness.

“You knew?” King Arthur accused at Gaius when he did not detect any semblance of surprise on the Court Physician’s face. “You _knew_.” This time as more of a statement. “And no one ever bothered to tell me that my manservant of _years_ possesses the very same thing that is abhorred in my kingdom.”

Princess Merlin flinched at his words and frowned. He did not have to remind her that the magic her original counterpart was seen as an abomination during this time.

“It is for Merlin’s best interest, sire,” Gaius carefully said. “It was for your _best_ interest that my ward kept it a secret from you.”

All Arthur did was scoff, and Merlin bristled.

“No offense, _sire_ ,” she said, snarling his address, “but that is exactly why Merlin hid it from you.”

“ _Merlin_ ,” her bodyguard reproached, but Merlin merely glared at him in return.

The king looked at his future counterpart, astonished at the lack of surprise on his face, too. “You knew,” he snarled, disappointed.

Bodyguard Arthur gave her a look that clearly stated ‘You’ll pay for this’, before looking back at the king. “I’m your future reincarnation,” he pointed out matter-of-factly. “Of course I know.”

When the king merely glared at him, he sighed. “Look, you will know, eventually,” he reassured the overwhelmed king. “And it would have been better that you heard it from your manservant yourself.” He paused for a while, thinking of words to say. “Yes, it is a lot to take in. I can still remember the time when Merlin finally revealed himself. The look on your face says it all.”

Betrayal was clearly etched on King Arthur’s face and Merlin mellowed down a bit. Now a tad guilty, she looked down on her feet.

“I just… I just wished he told me way back,” the king finally quipped, exhaustion and confusion at the tone of his voice.

Bodyguard Arthur earnestly nodded his head, now glaring at the princess. “He should have given you some benefit of the doubt,” he said, more to Merlin than the king. Merlin lifted her head and looked back at her bodyguard, apologetic. “He should have realized that you are _friends_ , and that yes, it might be shocking, but it would be better than feeling that he never trusted you at all.”

The king looked at him in surprise. Merlin looked at the king, waiting in bated breath for his reaction. Coolly, he turned his eyes on her. “Exactly,” he finally said, prompting her to drop her jaw.

Her cheeks flared at the scrutiny of the two Arthurs. “Oh, stop looking at me like that, you two,” she replied, hugging herself. “As a defense to my original self, he was _scared_ , you know.” King Arthur looked away with her claim. “All this… this destiny mumbo jumbo is so much to bear, Arthur. Add this to the fact that he was supposed to be in a kingdom who despised his kind.”

She could remember Merlin’s feelings of loneliness, of the injustice rampant in Camelot for people like him. But he was kind and steadfast; unlike Morgana, he never felt hate for those who were unfair to him. He strived harder, protected Arthur like how he was supposed to do, and finally achieved the justice he needed when King Arthur finally united all the kingdoms of Albion.

Merlin knew she struck a nerve, for the king guiltily looked away. The princess glanced at her bodyguard, merely sighed, but she could see that a smile was trying to fight its way on his face.

“He is my friend,” King Arthur finally said. “My _closest_ friend. I wish he told me sooner.” 

His words astonished her, now openly gawking at the king. Even if she was not exactly that original Merlin he was talking about, Merlin still could not help to feel touched with his words.

“Well, maybe you’ll work something out if we start searching for him now,” Merlin offered, a huge beam on her face. Silently, she somehow reprimanded her past reincarnation. If Warlock Merlin had just trusted Arthur, perhaps things would have been different if Arthur knew of his manservant’s power.


	33. The Search Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group continues to search for the missing manservant.

The trip back to the Darkling Woods was a tiring journey. Bodyguard Arthur was finally relieved when the unmistakable sight of the forest greeted them in their weary journey. They arrived still in the middle of the night; therefore, they deemed it safe to camp out for the night. Morgana’s cronies might be still roaming around, but with Merlin’s little concealment charm, they could sleep the night away without worrying of being caught.

As Arthur assisted Merlin until she finally slept for the night, the king pulled him aside.

They were both mesmerized by the licking fire, thoughts both too far away from this place. Until, the king broke the silence.

“You and Merlin,” he slowly started. Secretly, the bodyguard grinned. He somehow knew where this conversation was going. “Is there… is there something going on between you two?”

Bodyguard Arthur wasn’t blind. He could see the curious looks the king always shoot their way every time he and Merlin exchanged sweet, simple gestures. He was amazed he was able to keep the curiosity in him for a long time until now.

Innocently, he shrugged. “I am her bodyguard,” was his mere excuse. “And I have a duty to protect the princess of our country.”

The king looked at him suspiciously. To his surprise, King Arthur merely dropped the subject. Instead, he darted a curious look at the now slumbering Merlin. “I’m still amused with the role reversal,” he confessed, a smile blooming on his face. “Merlin’s gender difference is an added amusement, too, but it’s the role reversal that had struck me the most.”

The bodyguard nodded, completely concurring. “I was surprised too when I found out I was to serve Merlin,” he said, chuckling at the distant memory. “But, I never regretted any of it.”

King Arthur pensively looked at Merlin once more, a small smile on his face. “Merlin… Merlin is a good lad,” he said, speaking about his manservant. “I’m glad this is destiny’s way of repayment.” His cheeks colored a little, embarrassed. “Don’t tell it to Merlin, but I’d gladly serve him too, if given the chance.”

He boisterously laughed at that, earning some shushing from the king. “You have a great destiny ahead of you, Arthur Pendragon,” his future reincarnation said. “Brace yourself, for it will be a _long_ ride.”

* * *

_She was dreaming again._

_The instant shiver she felt from the cold confirmed her suspicions, as she wildly looked around in the icy room. Merlin was still trapped in a block of ice, frozen and seemingly slumbering. The princess bravely walked closer to him this time, determined to finally get a clue as to where he really was._

_“Merlin,” she called, her voice sounding ethereal and otherworldly in her ears. “Merlin, please, I need your help.”_

_Her hand touched the icy block. It was cold,_ too _cold, a shiver running down her spine with the change of temperature she felt._

_The imprisoned warlock’s eyes suddenly opened and she gasped, a scream coming out from her mouth. Manservant Merlin’s mouth started to move. “Butterflies,” he merely said, before his mouth and eyes closed once more._

_The frozen wizard was immobile again and Merlin, desperate, pounded on ice. “Butterflies?” she exclaimed. It did not make any sense to her._

“Princess!”

She was jolted awake by her bodyguard. Arthur, surprised at the sudden vehemence on her face, took a step back and raised his arm in defense. “We have to leave soon,” he whispered as explanation. “Gaius spotted some of the Southrons nearby.”

Merlin sighed and scrambled up, annoyed with _Merlin_ that he could be ominous in situations like this.

They quickly packed up. With a brief spell from Merlin, any remnants of inhabitation were concealed, and they finally continued their journey.

King Arthur was having a problem on remembering the right spot where he and Merlin were before his amnesia. Recovering from the memory loss apparently took time, and by the time the sun was at its highest, the king was snappy and sporting a humongous headache.

It did not help that Princess Merlin was extra annoyed all throughout the journey, too. She would constantly ponder on the dream she had last night, of what Warlock Merlin’s ominous ‘butterflies’ meant. It was the first time she dreamt of such, and she was quite disappointed it wasn’t as fruitful as what she had vowed before. She honestly was itching to take a nap right now, hoping that perhaps, Original Merlin would show in her dreams once more and explain the last dream she had.

They took a break sometime after noon to have their lunch. Their supply was dwindling fast, and Merlin could feel the sense of urgency the group was having as they silently ate their food. Gaius was starting to grow sickly. The Court Physician still had enough energy to cure those who were in need back in Camelot, but he was _old_. Gaius needed to rest as soon as possible.

Her eyes lazily swept throughout their small camp. King Arthur was taking a nap, his forehead creased still due to his headache. Her Arthur, on the other hand, was busy partitioning the food they had left. Starting after this, they had to budget their food if they wish to survive for the following days. Gaius was crushing leaves of an unknown plant he found in the forest; perhaps, to make a poultice for the pained king.

“I’ll freshen up,” she mumbled as she got up from the ground. Bodyguard Arthur made a move to stand up and accompany her, but Merlin merely shook her head. “Blast, Arthur, I can do it myself.”

Instead of getting offended with the tone of her voice, her bodyguard merely raised an amused eyebrow. “Of course, princess, if you wish it,” he said, exchanging a quick glance with the Court Physician.

Princess Merlin sighed and trudged closely to the creek. Crouching down, she started to wash her face. She angrily splashed water to her face, once again lost in thought of her odd dream. _‘If only you start providing me with concrete clues, Merlin, I’d greatly appreciate it,’_ she mentally snapped, glaring at no one.

She tiredly looked around, glaring at how peaceful the forest looked like when the kingdom just beside it was in turmoil. Merlin found it increasingly unfair that the forest could be blissfully ignorant of all the hardships suffered by people. Sighing, she thought that if she were reincarnated in the future, she’d rather be flower.

 _‘Yeah right,’_ a voice hissed against her ear. _‘As if you have a choice, Legendary Merlin.’_

“Oh quiet,” she said, loud enough as reply. Sometimes, the voices inside her head could be such a spoilsport. And sometimes, she wondered if she was already losing her mind because there were actually voices inside her head.

Her eyes particularly landed on a branch of a small tree nearby. On it, perched quietly, was a dainty butterfly. Its wings were a brilliant shade of blue, with a golden glow that Merlin mistaken first as haziness due to the heat of the sun. But, after rubbing her eyes countless times, she _swore_ it was glowing.

Two more butterflies of the same species landed beside the previous one.

Merlin shook her head and once again splashed some water to her face. This forest was _weird_ , now that she properly thought about it. After all, various creatures were inhabiting in this place.

As she stared at the water, her blue eyes stared right back at her and she blinked.

_“Butterflies.”_

Her head whipped back at the branch, eyes growing wide in understanding. “Butterflies,” she breathlessly murmured, scrambling up on her feet. “Butterflies!”

As she gleefully ran back to their small campsite, both her bodyguard and the physician looked at her weirdly. The king stirred from his sleep, cracked one eye open, and glared at the jovial princess. Merlin was unfazed, though, for as she looked at her companions, she chirpily announced, “We have to follow the butterflies!”

Bodyguard Arthur gave her a preposterous look. “Right, _Mer_ lin,” he said, gesturing gently at the princess. “Come here, I think you just really need to rest.”

“I’m _energized_ , you clotpole,” she shot back, earning her an amused smile from the fully awake king.

“Oh, she is Merlin, I guarantee you,” King Arthur said, a hint of fondness in the tone of his voice.

“Seriously?” she exclaimed, disbelieving. “I just had an earth-shattering revelation, guys, please. We have to follow the butterflies.”

Bodyguard Arthur turned to Gaius. “I think she’s off her rocker,” he whispered. Although the physician had no idea what he meant, he looked at her amusedly.

“I’m not off my rocker!” she exclaimed, exasperated as she stomped closer to her bodyguard. “Before you rudely woke me up from my sleep a while ago, I had a dream about Merlin.” That had caught Arthur’s attention. “He did not say much, except for ‘butterflies’, and now I completely understood what he meant. Look.”

She pointed at the branch where the three butterflies were perched. But then, to her astonishment, at least ten of the winged insects were fluttering patiently.

“Come on,” she said, quickly packing her things. “They are waiting for us.”

As they journeyed, with Merlin now taking the lead, they were still quite amused with how Original Merlin was helping them find him.

“I can’t believe I’m following butterflies for my manservant,” King Arthur once murmured to his reincarnation. “Merlin could be a blasted girl, if he really wanted, too.”

“Hey!” Princess Merlin exclaimed, craning her neck to glare at the king. “I’m a _girl_.”

Her bodyguard burst into loud laughter as the king sheepish smiled. “Right, of course, my apologies, " he said, prompting her to glare.

The butterflies, now almost half a hundred, finally stopped in one place. They swarmed around for a while, before dispersing up into the air, and leaving the four travelers alone.

Princess Merlin scrunched up her face, silently shivering as she unmounted from her horse. The air was thick with residual dark magic. The place even matched King Arthur’s description from his memory – it was dreary and darker than what they were travelling into a while ago.

“This place,” King Arthur whispered, unmounting from his horse, too. “I remember this place.” He looked directly at Merlin. “We’re here.”

Princess Merlin wordlessly nodded her head and started to peruse.

She noticed that some of the plants were barely alive, withering from the thick residual magic of Morgana’s. Merlin felt a little iffy, her magic also going haywire from the atmosphere. Whatever Morgana performed in this place was dark enough to kill any small living objects that ventured around here.

“Now, what must we do?” Gaius asked her.

Merlin frowned, aimlessly looking around. She got too excited in following the butterflies that now that they were her, she did not know what to do next. Gaius’ question remained unanswered as she continued to examine the environment.

“Look,” Bodyguard Arthur said. “That tree looks… ominous.”

She followed his stare and found a sickly-looking tree. All of its leaves were wilted, and it was clear that it was the one most affected by Morgana’s powerful magic. _‘Hmm… maybe?’_ she thought, cautiously approaching the dead tree. The others were gracious enough not to distract the sorceress as she perused.

Merlin inspected the tree closely, noting that even the insects that were perched on it were dead. Her eyes wandered around, until they were directed on the ground. Frowning, she fell on her knees and noticed some scorched marks on the floor.

Blinking, an image conjured in her mind, and she gasped. She looked at the others, wide-eyed. “Does anyone of you perhaps have a coal?” she asked, hopeful that someone did.

To her relief, her bodyguard fished a coal from his pocket. The king strangely looked at him, prompting him to glare. “What?” he said, defensive. “You never know when you need one, you know.” He said, now walking closer to Merlin and giving her the needed object.

They all watched curiously as Merlin silently drew on the ground. As minutes ticked by, they were growing restless. It was King Arthur who approached first, peering over her shoulders.

“What is that?” he asked, weird symbols on the ground he did not recognize.

Apparently finished, Merlin went back on her feet. “I honestly don’t know,” she confessed, thoughtfully looking at the obvious pentagram she redrew. Merlin looked back at her companions and gestured them closer. “Come inside. I think that is the right thing to do.”

They did not question her gut feeling, especially because she was the one most equipped to call the shots right now. Merlin could notice the nervousness on their faces, and she, too, felt a little fearful of what the pentagram would do to them.

“Now what?” Bodyguard Arthur asked, noting the uncertainty on her face.

Her eyebrows knitted together. “I don’t know,” she said, echoing her previous words.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the symbol on the ground. Her magic was going haywire, as if familiar with the pentagram. Merlin had this inkling Morgana had used this symbol, too. Balling her hands into fist, Merlin chanted the words she could only think of.

 _‘Bring me to Merlin,’_ she thought with conviction. _‘Bring me to Merlin.’_

It was only when a gasp escaped from King Arthur’s mouth when she knew something might have happened. She instantly opened her eyes, noting the black glow the pentagram suddenly emitted. Coupled by it was how her eyes turned a blinding shade of gold and the next thing she knew, everything was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course the whole follow-the-butterflies thing is huge nod to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.


	34. Tower of Idem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ominous tower looms at a distance, but Princess Merlin believes they are on the right track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it is safe to say that this is the chapter you all have been waiting for. Enjoy!

When she opened her eyes, Merlin expected to still be in the forest clearing. Her expectations were not met, however, as she wildly looked around, eyes widening with the environment around her. Gone were the towering trees and the greenery; instead, the whole area was covered with sand and, right smackdab at the middle, was a looming tower she did not recognize at all.

The land was devoid of any living creatures, save from herself, and to her great relief, her other three companions.

“W-what happened?” her bodyguard asked, still reeling from their sudden change of venue.

Merlin thoughtfully looked at the other three and frowned. “I think that was a transportation symbol, most likely used by Morgana during her attack,” she said, still uncertain as to how she managed to bring them here. Her gut told her to do this, and she realized it was starting to become more and more reliable. Perhaps, it was the reason why original Merlin became the greatest sorcerer the earth has ever seen. “I… I’m not really sure where we are right now.”

“I think I do,” the king quietly quipped, as they all looked at him. King Arthur had his gaze glued on the huge tower a few feet away from them, face laced with shock and confusion. “I’ve seen this place before. My nan used to tell stories about this place when I was younger.” When they all still expectantly looked at him, he sighed. “Tower of Idem.”

The Court Physician’s face lit up with clarity. Merlin and Arthur exchanged looks of confusion, still at loss of what the king revealed. Merlin did not like the look on Gaius face soon after, as dread became the predominant expression on his face.

“This is supposed to be a legend,” Gaius gravely said, eyes warily gazing at the tower from afar. “A simple story to scare children and keep them inside the house at night.”

“Apparently, it is not,” King Arthur pointed out, mirroring the dread on Gaius’ face. “We must go back,” he hastily said with utmost urgency. “This place isn’t safe.”

He made a move to go back inside the transportation symbol, but the princess stopped him. “No, we will not,” she claimed with conviction. The king was about to protest, but Merlin was having none of it. “This is the perfect place where Morgana could have imprisoned Merlin. We have to save him.”

King Arthur stared her down. “Then, by all means, I have to do this alone,” he said, chivalrous. “I order you to go back. I vow to bring back Merlin.”

It surprised him immensely when Princess Merlin merely scoffed. “Firstly,” she snarled, eyes dangerously flashing, “we are not your subjects whom you can order around so casually. And secondly, I do believe this is our mission” – she pointed a finger at her bodyguard – “and if there is someone who should go back and keep safe, well, frankly speaking, sire, it isn’t us.”

Affronted, King Arthur glowered at the tiny version of Merlin. The princess, unwilling to back down, held his gaze. The staring contest between the two royals were both watched on by Bodyguard Arthur and Gaius with mild amusement.

She could not believe that Arthur was stupid enough to volunteer himself, when it was obvious this place was filled with pure magic. One wrong move, and they might not have Arthur, too. She had forgotten that Arthur, albeit very brave, could be incredible stupid, too.

To her astonishment, the glare on his face disappeared. A small, disbelieving smile grew, lightly shaking his head in amusement. “If Merlin had stood up for himself like this,” he said, the tone of his voice lacking the menace he had a while ago, “I would have respected his decisions more.”

Princess Merlin, subdued, blinked at him. “We must get going then,” she said, “so you can tell that to him yourself.”

He scoffed. “I’d rather not,” he said, rolling his eyes, as he led the group closer to the tower. “I don’t want to give him any more reason to gloat.”

Her bodyguard coughed behind her, and she turned around, giving him a glare. She was sure she heard him laugh.

“Back to our mission,” Bodyguard Arthur quickly said, changing the topic, “Why are you and Gaius so alarmed by the tower?”

It was Gaius who replied him. “Legend says that whoever is trapped inside the tower will be lost forever,” he quietly said.

Merlin paled, her eyes widening. “If you have said that before our row, I could have gladly obliged,” she joked half-heartedly, but King Arthur merely shook his head.

“He’s serious,” the Once and Future King emphasized. “Unless, the one who is searching knows the person the most.” King Arthur stopped walking and turned to the team, a hopeful shine in his eyes. “My father once told me that if ever I was the one locked away in the Tower of Idem, he would still be able to save me because he knows me.”

“Well, that’s easy,” his future reincarnation replied, hopefully look at the others.

“And yet, it is not,” Gaius said. “There were past reports of families claiming that their loved ones were trapped here, but they were never found.” He sighed and shook his head. “There have been no accounts of people being recused here, and that is not exactly surprising because it was always thought to be a legend, anyway.”

Merlin became paler and paler as the mystery of the Tower of Idem was revealed. “Nobody can know a person so well,” she reasoned out with a frown. “Secrets are still bound to be kept.”

They finally arrived at the foot of the looming tower. They located an old, rusty, and suspiciously normal door. Merlin actually expected something grander, more sinister, or worse – there could have been no door at all.

Above the door, however, lay an inscription. Her bodyguard took a step forward and squinted at the writings, reading it aloud.

 _In the Tower of Idem_  
_A soul lost forever_  
_Behind a reflection_  
_Lest will only be sought_  
_By someone who swore_  
_Knowledge of the soul_  
_Greater than the stars_  
_Deeper than the oceans_  
_Anyone who dares_  
_Beware for you might be_  
_Trapped inside forevermore_

“Well, that was very reassuring,” Merlin said, hoping to sound joking. But to her companions, she sounded frightened, which did not help their already frazzled nerves.

Taking a deep breath, the young sorceress then grabbed onto the doorknob and pushed the door open. She gave her companions a one, last quick glance before leading them inside.

Gaius was the last one to enter, and when the door firmly shut behind him, they all looked behind. Dread grew at the pit of their stomach, noticing that there was merely a solid wall, sans the door. Merlin did not want to panic, but worst case scenarios started to conjure inside her mind.

 _‘Maybe I should have followed the king’s order?’_ she mused, before mentally smacking herself. They were to save the Legendary Warlock himself; there was no room for cowardice.

Princess Merlin took that time to inspect the inside of the tower. “This isn’t right,” she commented, noting how small the room was, with a very low ceiling and narrow walls. She clearly remembered that the tower stood almost a hundred feet tall.

“Why does this always, always happen to me?” the king claimed, bordering whiny, as he drew out Bodyguard Arthur’s sword and tapped onto the walls. To his dismay, there was nothing akin to a door anymore. He threw the sword back to the bodyguard, who was thankful for his quick reflexes; else, the sword could have hit him on his face.

“Strange,” Gaius suddenly announced. “There is a mirror there.”

He gestured at the full-length mirror that was the only thing placed in the rather bare room. The two Arthurs curiously peered at it, with Bodyguard Arthur jokingly pointing that there were now four Arthurs, which earned him an eye-roll from the king.

Merlin, confused, stared at her companions. “Don’t you see it?” she asked, gesturing at the mirror. In front was not her reflection, but an image of another room. Blinking, she looked behind her, but the said room was not there.

“Don’t see what?” the future Arthur asked, peering once more at the mirror. “All I can see is my reflection, your highness.”

The princess sighed, realizing she was the only one who was able to see the other side. Silently, she lifted her hand, about to touch the mirror, but King Arthur latched onto her wrist.

“Don’t,” he warned, worried that she was seeing something that they weren't.

Merlin gazed at them with all the seriousness she could muster. “No one touch the mirror, okay?” she said. “I’d rather we only save one person today.”

“We will be saving two if you do whatever you’re planning,” her bodyguard said, immediately rushing towards the princess and somehow blocking the mirror from her sight. “I’d rather it be me than you, Merlin.” He turned around and made a move to touch the mirror, but Merlin immediately grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“If you touch that, you’ll be trapped, too,” she warned. Arthur warily looked at the mirror and took a step back.

Princess Merlin sighed, a look of finality on her face. “Look,” she said, pointedly looking at the bodyguard. “Doesn’t it make sense? _Lest only will be sought, by someone who swore, knowledge of the soul, greater than the stars, deeper than the oceans…_ If anyone here in this room knows Merlin greatly, it is me. I’m his reincarnation for, goodness’ sake! I know all his memories and emotions. Thus, it should be me.”

Bodyguard Arthur was having none of it. “I’ll be careful,” she said, touched by his worry, as she reached out to hold his hand. “I have this inkling the chances of surviving is tremendously high if it is me.” She squeezed his hand as reassurance.

He reluctantly pulled away and stiffly nodded his head.

“No one touch the mirror no matter what happens,” she repeated, this time with more warning.

Merlin gazed at her companions one last time, lingering a little at her bodyguard, before she turned around and finally touched the mirror.

* * *

She tumbled forward with a soft thud, unceremoniously landing on her knees. The pull of the mirror had caught her off guard, and she did not ready herself for the sudden sensations she felt, until she found herself on the other side of the mirror.

Merlin looked at the mirror and could see the surprised and worried faces of the others. She knew they could not see her, prompting her to sigh.

 _‘Time’s a-ticking,’_ she thought, slowly turning around to beheld the room before her.

Compared to the small, suffocating room on the other side, this one had a frighteningly high ceiling, with numerous winding staircases and doors of various sizes, shapes, and colors decorated around. Merlin nervously bit her bottom lip, hearing distinctive sounds of anguished moans, warily eyeing all the closed doors and wondered what could possibly be happening behind them.

She figured trapped behind those were the lost souls that were never found. How Morgana was able to cheat herself out of this tower to imprison Merlin, she really had no idea. She had a horrible feeling it was not the High Priestess herself who placed her past reincarnation inside, but perhaps by a bewitched wanderer who really had terrible luck on that day.

 _‘Where would I start?’_ she exasperatedly thought. There were possibly hundreds of doors in this tower, and Merlin did not have the luxury of time.

Merlin started climbing the stairs, eyes trained intently on the different doors. Some had gaudy embellishments, others were spartan. The princess had no idea what those designs represented. _‘Maybe their personalities?_ ’ she thought, scribbled names of various fonts plastered across the doors.

She thought of using her magic, but she doubted it would work. Her magic was abuzz, heightened by the possible danger she could put herself into. It would not surprise her if the tower fought back once she released a smidge of her power.

Minutes ticked by, while she aimlessly strolled around. Her legs were starting to grow tired from her persistent walking, and yet, she still had not found any sign of Merlin. Fearfully, she wondered if she was also trapped here forevermore.

Upon climbing on the umpteenth stair, Merlin finally reached a hallway that made her eerily uncomfortable. The lights here were dim, and the atmosphere was thick with suffocating power. Wide-eyed, she was taken aback upon noticing a door that was ajar, emitting a blue ethereal glow that made her stop in her tracks all together.

Princess Merlin cautiously stepped forward, shivering as a cold breeze brushed past her cheeks.

 _‘Just like in my dream,’_ she thought, jaw suddenly dropping with the realization.

She nervously pushed the door wider to give her more space for entry. Peering inside, she noticed that the room was completely covered with ice. The temperature was freezing, but Merlin finally decided to trudge inside. She then proceeded to examine the whole room, her steps short and careful to stop herself from slipping.

Closing her eyes, she tried to recall all the times she dreamt of this place. _‘Merlin should be around here,’_ she mused, opening her eyes to stare at the place where she was right now. Just like in her dream, right at the very middle of the room was a huge block of ice, a slumbering Merlin trapped inside.

The princess swallowed a lump, breath hitching as she realized that this was real. Months of deciphering her dreams, only to know that they were actually her original counterpart’s way of reaching out to her, had overwhelmed her greatly.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she approached Merlin’s frozen form. She expected that he would suddenly open his eyes again, mutter the word ‘butterflies’ just exactly like her previous dream, but Original Merlin continued to remain immobile.

Princess Merlin gingerly lifted her hand, then placing it against the icy prison. She gasped and stumbled back as a huge crack suddenly resounded in the whole room, followed by a few more, until the block of ice finally shattered into pieces. She crouched down and shielded herself from the flying shards of ice, ignoring the pinpricks of pain she felt on her arms as some pieces grazed her skin.

Once the spectacle was finished, Merlin peeked over her arms. The warlock was sprawled messily on the floor, his skin also falling victim with the sharp shards of ice; his face was already bleeding as proof.

She slowly crawled towards him, her heart thudding wildly inside her ribcage.

“M-merlin?” she called, peering fearfully on his deathly white face.

His eyes suddenly flew open as he simultaneously gasped for breath. Relief washed over the princess as the color finally returned on his face.

The manservant blinked rapidly for a while, before turning towards the princess. Princess Merlin was dumbstruck, finally staring at a set of deep, blue, and familiar eyes she always saw whenever she looked in the mirror.

“Hello,” he managed to say, before his eyeballs rolled back into his head again, and passed out.


	35. Two Merlins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin, meet Merlin.

Gaius expelled a soft sigh. “Can you please stop pacing, sires,” he begged. “I am getting a headache just by looking at you two.”

Bodyguard Arthur jerked in surprise, having been immersed in his worry for the princess, and glanced at his past reincarnation. True to Gaius’ claim, even the king was pacing, who now drew into a complete halt to glare menacingly at the mirror.

The princess had been gone for _hours_. He did not know for how long, seeing that they were trapped inside this place without any sight of the outside, but for him, it felt like an eternity. He was even tempted to break Merlin’s order and throw himself into the mirror just to save the princess, ‘forever trapping him inside’ be damned.

It was the king who made an astonishing offer a while ago. _“I can go inside and search her, and quite possibly my manservant, for our peace of minds,”_ he claimed, with all the seriousness he could muster. He then proceeded to point out that his future reincarnation was here, and Bodyguard Arthur just had to cross the mirror to bring him out.

His idea was quite tempting, but the bodyguard knew Princess Merlin would have his head for sacrificing his and King Arthur’s wellbeing. Gaius also adamantly refused with the king’s idea. Thankfully, King Arthur dropped it and had proceeded to pace to and fro up until now.

“That’s it, I’m going in!” the king suddenly exclaimed. Gaius made a move to protest, but he just continued to barge forward, eyes determinedly eyeing the magical mirror. Bodyguard Arthur was torn whether to step aside or block the mirror; his impatience and worry were growing by the minute, and truth be told, he was almost on the verge of snapping, too.

Finally, he decided to step aside and let the king through.

Just before he could even touch the mirror, however, the mirror suddenly glowed, and Princess Merlin and the unmistakable sight of the unconscious legendary warlock came tumbling out.

“MERLIN!” the two Arthur’s exclaimed in unison. King Arthur immediately came forward to unburden the unsteady princess with the dead weight of his manservant. The bodyguard, on the other hand, assisted the princess onto her feet.

“The door materialized once more!” Gaius claimed, and they did not have to be told twice as they all dashed forward, threw the door open, and finally emerged out into the open.

The future reincarnation of the Once and Future King was right in thinking that they had been staying in the Tower of Idem for hours. A magnificent mixture of orange, pink, and red painted the sky, signaling the sun’s descent down into the horizon.

“We have to get to the transportation symbol,” Princess Merlin gushed, inexplicably tired from her little adventure. “We must make haste.”

They all blindly ran. The bodyguard half-dragged, half-carried the princess until they all collapsed inside the pentagram.

“ _Ætberan ús áberstan_ **[1]** ,” Princess Merlin said, the incantation instantly taking place as the dark symbol glowed, and the familiar feeling of transportation took over.

Soon, they found themselves back in the Darkling Woods. “ _Ácwínan_ **[2]** ,” the sorceress said, her eyes turning gold as the pentagram disappeared from their sight. “To save some unfortunate souls from stumbling back into that horrid tower.” She said it as a reply from her bodyguard’s questioning look.

The forest now was dark, as the sun did its complete descent and the full moon now high above the inky black sky.

“We should camp out here for the time being,” King Arthur said, unceremoniously placing his manservant on the damp, dirty ground of the forest. “Seriously, he weighs _tons_ for a gangly, young man.”

They all waited with bated breath, eyes constantly magnetizing down on the unconscious warlock. Gaius took that time to heal some of the princess’ cuts from her unfortunate encounter of hurtling shards of ice.

Manservant Merlin was still too cold from his entrapment in the block of ice; despite his unconsciousness, he was shivering violently with chattering teeth. The group had to give up their own blankets just to cocoon him to give him some warmth. They were finally satisfied and less worried when his teeth stopped chattering all together.

The bodyguard volunteered to keep watch for the night, seeing that the princess was dead tired from saving her past counterpart, Gaius’ health was slowly declining, and he needed the king to be alert in the morning. He knew he had no choice.

Shooting another look at the unconscious manservant, he frowned, hoping that he would wake up real soon.

* * *

“Wake up,” her bodyguard murmured, as Merlin stirred in her sleep.

Opening one eye, she scowled upon noticing that the moon was still very much in the obvious dark sky. “It’s still night,” she groaned, rolling over to her side to cover her face.

“Merlin’s waking up.”

Her eyes fully opened in surprise, immediately sitting up from her makeshift cot. Merlin paused for a while, getting a little dizzy from her abrupt actions, before settling her eyes on the supposed unconscious manservant. King Arthur and Gaius were already up, some remnants of sleep still visible on their faces.

She and Arthur crept closer to the group, eyes peering down on Merlin in anticipation. True to Arthur’s words, the warlock was jerking lightly on his cot, before finally opening his eyes.

Princess Merlin gasped, once again feeling strange staring down on the blue eyes she had been constantly dreaming about for the past few months.

For a moment, they were silent and watched the manservant’s eyes sweep from one person to another. Finally, he settled on the kind, old face of the Court Physician. “Ga-gaius?” he croaked, voice still raw from disuse. “Is it just me or are there two Arthurs?”

* * *

He was cold, utterly cold, as he finally opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was that he was not in his warm bed in Gaius’ bedchambers. The next thing he noticed, however, was that there were two unmistakable Arthurs staring down at him.

“Ga-gaius?” he asked, confused and quite disturbed with the sight. “Is it just me or are there two Arthurs?”

He slowly sat up, assisted by the two Arthurs he claimed. Before Gaius could even respond, his eyes landed on the girl in front of him, and he blanched, noticing her startlingly familiar blue eyes. “D-do I know you?”

Merlin blinked rapidly, confusion growing on his face. He did not know who she was but she was making him uncomfortable.

“Am I just dreaming?” the manservant spoke once more, still ogling strangely at the two Arthurs. As an answer, the king gave him a huge slap at the back of his neck, much to the surprise of the others. “Ow, you dollophead!” he cried, rubbing his smarting neck. Arthur grinned widely at his insult.

“Can someone please explain to me what is happening?” he cried hysterically, a wild look still on his face.

Her other companions were highly amused with his antics. Thus, the only girl from the group took it upon herself to step forward. She stuck out her hand, and mustering the brightest, _cheeriest_ smile she could muster, she said, “Hello, Merlin.” The legendary warlock’s eyes finally landed on her and still, he peered at her curiously. “I am Merlin. Pleased to meet you.”

His eyes widened in saucers, his jaw dropping, as he took in her introduction. All the color drained from his face and he slightly swayed on the spot.

“Careful there, Merlin,” one of the Arthurs, the one on his right, said, also grinning widely at him.

Merlin’s horror-stricken face landed on Gaius. “Um… Gaius?” he squeaked, a tad scared from all of them. “What’s happening?”

The Court Physician chuckled, humor in his eyes. “Do you remember anything at all, lad?” he inquired.

The manservant scrunched his forehead as he racked his brain. “We… we were here, in the Darkling Woods,” he slowly started, trying to recall the memory. “When Agravaine suddenly appeared and knocked me out. I… I think there was Morgana and then, I don’t remember anything anymore.”

He scowled at the Arthur on the right. “I told you we shouldn’t hunt on that day!” he angrily spat, annoyed that he could not remember anything at all.

“Wrong Arthur, mate,” was all he said.

“ _Mer_ lin, you _idiot_ ,” the Arthur on the left, claimed, prompting his eyes to widen.

The confused warlock groaned, hands snaking to his temples as a pounding headache started to form. “Gaius,” he pleaded and closed his eyes, refusing to look at the peculiar sight before him.

“You were abducted by Morgana,” the Court Physician continued. “King Arthur’s memories were meddled by her. You were gone for months, my dear lad. And then, these two time travelers appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be the future reincarnations of you and our king, with hopes of finding you.”

“W-what?” he asked, aghast. “Time travelers? Reincarnations?”

The Arthur on the right sighed. “My name is Arthur Pendragon, and I am the future reincarnation of the Once and Future King,” he said, whilst gesturing at the Arthur on the left, the _King_ Arthur which Merlin knew. “Pleased to meet you. And she” – he pointed at the strange girl still peering with that familiar blue eyes of hers – “is your future reincarnation, Princess Merlin of the House Emrys, and I pledged my loyalty to serve her and protect her future.”

“A girl reincarnation?” he sputtered out, prompting the princess to roll her eyes.

“I’m proud to be one, so watch it,” she warned, eyes dangerously flashing. The menace in her eyes soon disappeared and she grinned. “Quite a shocker, isn’t it?”

‘Shocker’ was such a huge understatement.

“There are two Merlins in front of my eyes,” King Arthur piped in, throwing a playful glare at the princess. “I am the one _shocked_.”

It was all too much, the sorcerer thought. He had seen a lot of strange magic in this land ever since he was a babe, but it was the first time he came across with time travelers. And future reincarnations of him and the king, no less!

“B-but how?” he asked, breathless.

Bodyguard Arthur would sigh once more. “Some unimaginable force threw us back here in time,” he explained. “We found out that our original counterparts were missing. With no knowledge of how to go back, we tried to blend in while trying to find clues on your disappearance.”

Merlin paled. He should have known this was a work of a powerful magic.

“Don’t worry,” the time traveler said, smiling gently at him. “We don’t bite.”

The manservant turned to the king. “How come he is more tolerable than you are?” he suddenly asked, prompting King Arthur to glare.

To his surprise, female Merlin boisterously laughed. “Oh, trust me, Merlin,” she piped in. “You are very, _very_ wrong.” This made the bodyguard laugh at her claim.

“All right, all right,” the manservant said. “So, Arthur and I have been missing for months, our reincarnations travelled back in time, and you assumed roles just to fit in.” He knitted his eyebrows, still disbelieving that the words he uttered were true, and then added, “But how were you able to find us?”

It was Princess Merlin who answered him. “I found King Arthur in Northumbria purely by accident,” she said. “As what Gaius said, he has some memory loss, and our solution was to bring him to the Cauldron of Arianrhod to remove Morgana’s spell.”

“And you,” she continued, giving him a strange look. “We found you locked in the Tower of Idem, a supposed myth. But you have been appearing in dreams for months, trying to help me find my way to you. Do you not remember?”

The manservant’s eyes widened in realization. He had been having dreams, too, of a girl with the same eyes as she possessed. He remembered he was asking for help while he was trapped inside a huge block of ice. “I…” he quietly replied. “I did not realize it was true.”

Manservant Merlin took a moment to digest all the new information he received. Here was he, still shivering slightly from the cold, while staring at Arthur’s and his reincarnations. Whatever force may have brought them here, Merlin had this inkling he and the king were in grave danger for fate to decide to seek help from their future reincarnations.

“You said you pretended to be king while Arthur is gone,” he slowly said, eyes landing on the bodyguard. “How come you are here and not in Camelot?”

All the humor and amusement left their faces, replaced with a severity that he did not like one bit.

“Camelot is under Morgana’s reign, with the help from the Southrons,” Princess Merlin replied in a whisper, prompting his eyes to widen. “It is a long story as to how that came to be. To make it short, Agravaine betrayed us all, my bodyguard here and Gaius fled to find you and the king and to reclaim back Camelot from Morgana’s clutches.”

He glanced at the king, who was somber from her words. Merlin always felt queasy whenever Agravaine was around. He did voice it out at times to Arthur, but the king would always brush it off. Looking at him now, however, Merlin did not have the heart to cajole him for being right.

“We are hoping that now you are here,” Bodyguard Arthur continued, “you will now help Camelot and we can finally go home.”

“Our first priority is to claim back Camelot,” King Arthur claimed with conviction. “Morgana must pay for all the things she did to me, to Merlin… to _Camelot_.” He sighed and shook his head. “I apologize because you’ve been dragged into this, too. I swear that once we get Camelot back, we will help you find yourself home.”

Merlin reverently nodded his head. Somehow, he felt responsible for all the things that happened for the past months. If only he had been more vigilant, more _careful_ – he could have protected King Arthur and these time travelers would not travel back in time in the first place.

* * *

“Can’t sleep?”

Princess Merlin smiled as her bodyguard sidled beside her. “Sadly, I can’t,” she replied.

After the manservant’s awakening, Gaius retired to bed whilst Merlin requested to be alone with his thoughts. He was currently sitting in front of the blazing fire, with King Arthur quietly beside him.

The princess planned to sleep, with her bodyguard also preparing to call it a night, but Merlin found out she could not sleep at all. Perching herself on one of the available logs in the woods, she was lost in her thoughts until Arthur sat down beside her and snapped her off from her reverie.

“Yeah, me too,” Arthur said, nodding his head to concur with her. “The fact that we finally found our original counterparts is enough to keep me awake at night.”

She sighed, understanding what he meant. “It is comforting to think that we might be going home after all,” she said, a huge beam growing on her face. “I wonder what my parents, our _friends_ , are doing right now while we are still missing.”

“We still have to reclaim Camelot, though,” Arthur pointed out, prompting her to roll her eyes.

“Spoilsport,” she said, sticking out her tongue afterwards.

Arthur tutted. “That was very unladylike,” he said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “What would your people think if they saw their future queen acting so immaturely.”

She playfully hit him in the arm as her response and laughed.

“Shh,” he said, placing a finger against his lips. “You’ll wake Gaius up.”

Merlin shot an apologetic look at the slumbering Court Physician. Her eyes then swept to the bonfire, and the two people who were sitting close to it. The king was slightly irate, furiously whispering to his manservant, while the warlock looked deeply remorseful.

“I have this feeling they’re talking about Merlin’s magic,” the bodyguard suggested, which she agreed to completely.

“In Merlin’s defense,” the princess started, “Camelot is unforgiving to people of magic. I think it is perfectly reasonable for him to hide it from Arthur, of all people.”

"He’ll fully accept it, eventually,” Arthur reassured with a smile. “The king only needs some time. I know that because I remembered how he felt when Merlin revealed his magic to him.”

Merlin frowned and looked back at her bodyguard. “What confuses me really is how messed up the timeline is,” she said. “If I remember correctly, Arthur found out about Merlin’s magic days before he died in the Battle of Camlann.” Her frown deepened, this time with her eyebrows meeting together. “Come to think of it, the attack of the Southrons is far too early and Morgana _knows_ about Emrys already.”

“Well, Arthur and Merlin did not really went missing in the first place,” Arthur pointed out. He looked quite bothered. “Does that mean we are in a parallel universe?”

“That’s preposterous,” she exclaimed, highly doubting his explanation. “If we are, we will never have those _real memories_ of our originals.” She pensively looked at her feet and sighed. “How can we explain all of these?”

“We can’t,” the bodyguard said, shaking his head. “Time is… _weird_. All these time travelling, weird timelines, and the like…” Arthur slightly smiled. “I think the only explanation we have is by the words of my favorite doctor.”

Merlin looked at him strangely. “And what is that?”

“A big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff,” he said, shrugging.

“You don’t make any sense,” she sighed.

“Our _situation_ doesn’t make any sense,” he interjected, slightly affronted with her insult. When she still looked highly unconvinced, he said, “ _Look_ , perhaps the reason why we still have the real memories of our reincarnations is because, you know, once we go back, the timeline will be restored and they will forget about us completely.”

The princess looked thoughtful, about to retort something back, before stopping herself. He made perfect sense this time. “That’s… _sad_ ,” she said, feeling a tad melancholic with the fact that all the friendships she established here would all be forgotten once they go back home.

“Some powerful force brought us here for a reason, Merlin,” he pointed out. “We don’t have a say with anything that is bound to happen.”

Merlin forlornly looked at their past reincarnations, feeling a painful clenching in her heart with the thought that they would be forgotten.

“What about us?” she softly asked, feeling more dreadful as she refused to look at her bodyguard. “Will we forget our adventure here, too?”

Memories of her stay came flooding back into her mind, overwhelming her greatly. Most of them consisted of her times with her bodyguard, too, and she could not bear the thought that she would forget the feelings they had shared with each other during their stay here in Camelot.

To her surprise, Arthur’s warm hand enclosed her small, dainty one. She sadly looked back at him, but there was a smile on his face. “Remember when you said Merlin’s name back when King Arthur still believed he was Benedict the Blacksmith?” he asked.

She nodded her head and lightly smiled. How could she forget? His reaction was instant, as if that simple name of his manservant had greatly impacted his confused state.

“I think,” he said, eyes gazing up into the night sky, “that even if we forgot whatever transpired here in this place, we won’t forget what we felt.”

At the same time, he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “I… love you,” he said, eyes wide as if he just realized his feelings for the first time. “Gods, I really do and I would have told you before, but you refused to listen.” He gave her a pointed look and she blushed, remembering their brief encounter in the Darkling Woods before she left Camelot. “And I know you are romantic by heart, so I think it is safe to say my love for you will transcend time.”

She was floored, with his confession and how sincere his feelings were.

“Arthur?” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

* * *

“How are we going to save Camelot now?” the manservant sighed as King Arthur supplemented more information about Morgana’s reign.

“Well,” the king said, a strange look on his face, “we can use your magic to send a message to the Kinghts of the Round Table and gather them in the outskirts of the Camelot.” Merlin’s eyes had widened but Arthur was not yet finished. “Then, we could plan more with them before we attack Morgana and the Southrons.”

King Arthur sighed and shook his head. “Honestly, Merlin,” he added, “this is the only plausible idea I could think of.” He ran a frustrated hand through his dirtied, blond hair and frowned. “Morgana is starting to become a problem now. We should really deal with her once we get back in Camelot.”

When Merlin did not reply, the king looked at him. “What?” he barked, annoyed with how he was stupidly staring at him.

“You… know I have magic?” he asked, whispering the last bit in fear that what he heard was wrong.

Their eyes drifted for a while onto the two time travelers when the princess suddenly burst into loud laughter, followed by her bodyguard’s shushing.

King Arthur then gave him a strange look. “Your future reincarnation might have slipped it or something,” he flippantly said, waving his hand. Merlin’s eyes widened and he darkly glared at Princess Merlin, feeling betrayed.

“Oh, don’t blame her,” Arthur snapped, looking highly furious. “At least she had the decency to tell me that my manservant of _years_ has been constantly saving me because he is a _sorcerer_.”

Merlin flinched with his address, apologetically looking at the ground. “I am sorry, Arthur,” he said with sincerity. “Truly, I am. But tell me” – he lifted his head and stared straight into Arthur – “what would you have done if I told you before?”

He was satisfied with how Arthur’s fury dissipated.

For a while, the king was silent. “Honestly,” the king started, creasing his forehead, “I would have been shocked, and most likely avoid you for days.” Merlin gave him a knowing look, prompting him to roll his eyes. “Do you honestly think I would have built a pyre for you?”

Merlin shrugged. “I may have thought about that, one way or another,” he said smoothly.

King Arthur sighed. “You really should start trusting me more, _Mer_ lin,” he drawled, glaring darkly at his manservant. “I am not like my father.”

Strangely, that made him smile. Seeing that he was still very much alive even if his secret was out in the open proved that Arthur was not like his father. “I’d keep that in mind,” he said, relief flooding in his heart. It was tiring to keep his identity a secret for so long. It felt refreshing to know that one of his closest friends already knew of his true nature.

His eyes strayed back to the time travelers, specifically on his future reincarnation.

“Who knew I’d be a girl someday,” Merlin said, still disbelievingly looking at the sheepish princess. Now that warmth had finally flooded his system, he could think clearly, and finally realize that the girl looked _exactly_ like him. It was frightening that even the facial expressions on her face were mirrored with his. There were minor differences, however, like her long, wavy tresses and her ears were smaller than his, but still deemed as large.

“Seems fitting, don’t you think?” the king said with a playful glint in his eyes. “What with your flare for drama and whatnot.” When Merlin looked affronted, he continued, “I always knew you’d be a wonderful girl, Merlin.”

“Clotpole,” he shot back, glaring darkly at the king. Arthur was unfazed, however. “I sure hope you will be a girl someday, too.”

Arthur laughed boisterously, and Merlin couldn’t help but to crack a small smile. “I’d be a horrible female,” he said, nose now scrunching in disgust with the idea.

Merlin paled, imaging a whiny, female version of the king. Somehow, he had this inkling this version would be more intolerable than the king he had right now.

“But she’s a princess in her time,” Arthur pointed out. “I think that can compensate with your sudden gender change.”

The manservant rolled his eyes, thinking it was typical for Arthur to think that all would be better with titles and riches. Honestly, he thought he would chose being a manservant than a royal of a kingdom any day.

“I’m sure you’re disappointed you are a, how do they call it - ?”

“ – a bodyguard - .”

“ – yes, a bodyguard or a servant in the future,” Merlin said, a pointed look on his face.

To his surprise, Arthur looked deeply slighted. “Do you honestly think of me as shallow?” When Merlin did not answer, he scowled. “ _Mer_ lin, you are an idiot.”

Merlin merely shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face.

Arthur sighed and shook his head. “I think this is a repayment for all the service you have given me, Merlin,” he explained. “From what I heard from them, they are the umpteenth reincarnations, and I believe this is the first time this has happened.” A small smile bloomed on his face as he looked back at the strangers. “Don’t you think it’s fitting that I get to serve you this time?”

He looked at the king, awed that he could say such words. Now that he said it, Merlin thought Arthur made sense. After all, it was not easy to serve him, especially because he had a destiny to protect the Once and Future King from all the harm that was thrown his way.

Silently, as he looked at the strangers, too, he thought that destiny was a funny thing.

They both watched as Arthur’s reincarnation tightly grasped the hand of Merlin’s reincarnation. Blanching and wide-eyed, Merlin turned to the king. “Are they - ?”

“Whatever you are going to ask,” King Arthur hastily said, blushing furiously that mirrored his future counterpart, “I do not wish to hear it, Merlin.”

This confirmed his suspicions all the more. Jaw dropping with bewilderment, Merlin looked back at the obvious couple and felt sick in the stomach.

 _‘Yes,’_ he thought. _‘Destiny is such a funny thing.’_

* * *

“An owl?” King Arthur asked, eyeing the princess in incredulity. “As a carrier for messages? That’s _ridiculous_.”

Princess Merlin gave him a glare. “Hey,” she said, affronted. She frowned and gestured at the bird now perched on her right arm. “They are very intelligent birds, thank you very much, and I have successfully delivered a letter to my bodyguard and Gaius, _twice_ , already.”

The manservant grinned, obviously thrilled with her idea. “So, how do you do it?” he asked, raptly looking at the female version of him.

“So, the letter will be just tied to his claw.” Bodyguard Arthur tied the letter to the owl’s claw as instructed by Merlin. “And then… _Ærendsecgan þys ærendgewrit æt Gwaine ferhþgléaw fléogenda_ **[3]**.” Her eyes turned golden as the owl ruffled its feathers. Finally, it took flight to deliver the message.

“That’s it?” King Arthur asked, warily watching the bird’s flight.

“That’s it,” Merlin said with a smile.

Manservant Merlin looked back at a princess, a questioning look on his face. “Then what?” he asked.

“Well,” Princess Merlin said, “now we wait.”

* * *

**[1] _Ætberan ús áberstan_ – Bring us away**

**[2] _Ácwínan_ – Disappear **

**[3] _Ærendsecgan þys ærendgewrit æt Gwaine, ferhþgléaw fléogenda_ – Deliver this message to Gwaine, wise bird**


	36. Of Kings and Lionheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Once and Future King try to reclaim Camelot from Morgana's evil clutches with the help of his time traveller friends.

It was a miracle he was still alive.

Although black and blue from the constant torturing of the Southrons, Sir Gwaine was able to slip away from the dungeons and hide somewhere in the Darkling Woods. He broke free together with Percival, who was currently fitfully slumbering as Gwaine volunteered to keep the first watch.

From what he had heard, Elyan was still trapped inside the castle in Camelot. It somehow made him guilty he did not bother to grab Elyan and flee together with him. The gossiping Southrons had apparently locked him, together with his sister, Guinevere, somewhere near Morgana’s bedchambers. Gwaine did not exactly know why, but Morgana was keeping Gwen frighteningly close to her, as if she was afraid the maidservant would suddenly disappear without any trace.

They met Sir Leon in the Darkling Woods a few days after their flight. The said knight was lucky enough to avoid Morgana’s clutches. He was supposed to aide King Arthur and Gaius to their escape, but the knight had to fall back to make sure that no Southrons would dare follow their king. Leon was currently hunting at night, trying to locate any decent meal that could satiate the three, burly knights.

As Gwaine’s eyes lingered on the ruined beauty of Camelot, he wondered where the king could possibly be. The thought that Merlin was still nowhere to be found had brought great turmoil to the Knights of the Round Table. The awkward, lanky manservant, although not quite good in holding swords and fighting battles, was fiercely loyal to the king and the kingdom and Gwaine thought his disappearance would be such a waste in the vast kingdom.

 _‘Where are you, Arthur?’_ he pondered, sighing as he sat down and rested his back against a tree. The three knights agreed that they would scour the woods and the nearby kingdoms in search of their king. Arthur had been gone for far too long; his three-month absence before, despite not having any invasion such as now, was still startlingly alarming. Camelot would truly crumble if King Arthur did not return.

It did not surprise him at all how Camelot easily perished under Morgana’s reign. What was he to expect, anyway? With Morgana’s unending hatred towards the kingdom and its rulers, they should have foreseen this.

" _One day,”_ King Arthur once said during one of their meetings on the round table, _“Morgana would come back with a vengeance. We must be prepared.”_

Gwaine thought it was too early, but when was the right time? The High Priestess was far too powerful against the mighty army of Camelot. With just a flick of her hand and a flash of golden eyes, everybody would fall.

He should have run, given the opportunity. With Percival dead to the world and Leon still hunting for food, it was the perfect time to run away and never look back. The Gwaine before would typically sidestepped this problem and just careless drink himself into blissful oblivion. But then again, he owed his life to Merlin, and ultimately to Arthur. It was fitting to become off service to them through and through, because it was right.

It _felt_ right.

A sudden loud hoot from the tree he was leaning against snapped off his reverie.

“Stupid bird,” he growled, lightly glaring as the owl suddenly came swooping down and flew around his head. Horrified, he flailed his hand to shoo the offending bird away. Gwaine might be mighty during battles, with a loud mouth against his enemies, and a swooning wink thrown to girls, but he would always, _always_ be terrified with anything that had a beak and could fly.

The owl continued to angrily hoot, now landing on the ground in front of him. Gwaine shivered at the sight of its beak and desperately tried to drive it off. To his utmost surprise, however, the owl stuck out its foot, a tied parchment wrapped around it.

Gwaine shot it a suspicious look before slowly crouching down to untie the parchment. The owl made a move to nip on his finger, but he drew it away before the bird could even do so. “No biting!” he admonished, and the owl even had the decency to bob its head down, as if remorseful.

The knight finally untied the parchment. The owl flew away into the inky black sky, much to his relief.

At the same time, Leon came, dragging a deer behind him.

“What’s going on?” the newly arrived knight asked.

From his position, Percival stirred and finally woke up from the ruckus.

Gwaine frowned and finally opened the letter.

To his surprise, it was addressed to him.

_Gwaine,_

_Gather all the knights you could get and bring them in the Darkling Woods._

_Two nights from now, Camelot will be ours once more._

It was not signed, but the neat scrawl was definitely Arthur’s. How he managed to send him a letter, through an _owl_ no less, quickly escaped from his mind. Instead, he excitedly looked at the other two knights with him and brilliantly grinned.

“We must gather as many knights as we could,” he relayed. Leon and Percival exchanged confused looks. “It’s from Arthur. I know it is from him. Two nights from now, we will finally fight because the king is back once more.”

* * *

Highly amused, Morgana watched from her window as some knights of Camelot sneaked off into the Darkling Woods. He spotted some of Arthur’s most trusted knights, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, and Elyan, leading the small band of knights until they disappeared from her sight.

The clock tower showed midnight, and she mused on how incompetent the Southrons were for letting the ‘mightiest army’ sneak out under their noses. With a tired sigh, Morgana would have a word with Helios in the morning.

Morgana then heard a soft knock. “Come in,” she said, eerily calm, as Agravaine finally strode inside her bedchambers. The lord looked weary, some remnants of sleep still present on his face. She sneered, mentally thinking how pathetic Agravaine could be when they were in a middle of a war.

“You called for me, my lady?” Agravaine groggily asked.

“Do you have news on Arthur, Agravaine?” she sweetly asked, flashing the prettiest smile she could muster. Morgana had to suppress an eye roll when Lord Agravaine morphed into that sickening, besotted fool once more.

“I apologize, Morgana,” he said, sincerity in his voice, “but Arthur is still not found.”

Morgana sighed and looked outside her window once more. The knights were slowly decreasing in number, disappearing into the forest.

“Is something the matter, my dear lady?” Agravaine asked, slowly approaching the pensive sorceress.

“It may have slipped your notice, but Arthur’s trusted knights are escaping,” she said, as calmly as possible. She smirked as horror grew on Agravaine’s reflection on the mirror.

“How could - .”

“Never that mind,” she snapped, twisting around so fast, her neck almost cricked. Her eyes dangerously flashed as a feral grin grew on her face. It was satisfying to watch the arrogant lord suddenly cowering from her expression.

“Ready the troops,” the High Priestess firmly ordered. “We have a King to welcome back.”

* * *

“Well, this is it,” Princess Merlin said as the group neared the border of the Darkling Woods.

The group stopped their hike as originals and future reincarnations looked at each other.

“Remember to go to the Throne Room and - .”

Bodyguard Arthur laughed. “Yes, your highness, we remember,” he said, cutting King Arthur off his sentence. The king glowered, which the two Merlins thought was quite amusing. “Do not worry. We’ve gone through this a thousand times.”

They had travelled first thing in the morning towards Camelot. The Darkling Woods was a vast forest, and although they had been in it for a while, it still almost took them a day to finally reach its borders. Besides, Manservant Merlin was still recuperating from his imprisonment. Hence, there were usual stopovers just so he could sleep a wink. It would not do them some good if the Legendary Warlock was exhausted once they faced off Morgana.

They all agreed to separate ways before King Arthur and his manservant were to meet the knights of Camelot. It would be especially suspicious if they found out that there were _two Arthurs_ to greet them. Besides, the princess was supposedly dead. Princess Merlin and her bodyguard all agreed to bound off to Camelot first, bringing Gaius with them so the Court Physician could start healing those who were wounded.

They planned to meet Morgana in the Throne Room, where they knew she would reside to protect her throne and crown. Their main purpose was to catch her off guard, and finally defeat her once and for all, with the help of the two, powerful sorcerer and sorceress.

“You must be careful,” the manservant said, more to his future counterpart. “Morgana is dangerous.”

“I _know_ ,” Princess Merlin said, grimly nodding in agreement. “I remember memories of… _her_.” She shivered. Even if centuries had passed, she was still in disbelief of Morgana’s change of heart. She was eternally thankful that Morgana in their time period was non-existent; or, at least, announcing her presence. She would not know what to do.

“Remember to - .”

“ _Yes_ , we remember,” the bodyguard sighed, looking at the king in exasperation.

The king rolled his eyes and frowned. 

“We must get going,” Princess Merlin said, all the humor now gone from her face. “Break a leg.”

The king, his manservant, and the Court Physician looked aghast. Merlin grew sheepish, realizing what she had said, while the bodyguard beside her was shaking in laughter.

“Actually, it means _good luck_ in my time,” she quickly covered. “Oh, haha, that was not a good thing to say when we’re in an actual battle, I apologize.”

King Arthur and Manservant Merlin exchanged a look of confusion, but had let it slide.

The princess then proceeded to disguise herself and her bodyguard so that nobody would recognize them. Her hair turned a brilliant shade of yellow whilst slightly altering her ears to a normal size for once. Her eyes also turned green as a final effect. Arthur, on the other hand, sported black hair with grey eyes. Simply put, they did not exactly look like their past counterparts anymore.

Exchanged goodbyes were passed on from one another, as the princess, the bodyguard, and Gaius ventured first, meaning to arrive in Camelot without meeting the knights. Meanwhile, King Arthur and the legendary warlock trudged forward to the supposed meeting with the collected knights.

* * *

“Morgana would have known by now,” Merlin pointed out, prompting the king to sigh.

“Of course she already knows,” Arthur replied, pointedly looking at his manservant. “She is _brilliant_ , albeit a little evil. But Morgana is quite predictable. Although clever, she is impulsive, and that would be her downfall someday, which is hopefully _today_.”

His manservant silently nodding, completely concurring with his claim. Morgana was filled with so much rage she could lash out to anyone without any thinking at all. Somehow, Merlin was thankful that the High Priestess was still out-of-control due to her hate; it would be easier to defeat a blinded person.

Finally, they could make out Camelot in the distance. There were soft whisperings from afar, and Merlin silently gestured for Arthur to back down, in case they were to come across a bunch of Morgana’s cronies.

“MERLIN!”

Relief flooded in his heart as the surprised, yet friendly faces of the Knights of the Round Table came into view. Merlin mentally counted at least thirty of Camelot’s knights, but he wasn’t quite sure because his closest friends came hurtling towards him to give him a bear hug.

Merlin silently smiled, wondering how long it had been ever since he saw his friends. Frozen in the Tower of Idem, he had no sense of time.

“You’re back,” Percival said, awed that it was the lanky manservant they were crushing with their muscles. “You’re actually back.”

From behind them, Arthur expelled a sigh. “Yes, welcome back, our King,” he sarcastically said, prompting Leon to pull him closer to be included in the group hug.

“I see your sarcasm never left you,” Gwaine said cheekily. “That is a good sign.”

King Arthur smiled for a while before finally stepping away from the group. “How is Camelot?” he said. His simple question drained all the humor out of his knights as they somberly glanced at the distant kingdom.

“It would be better if you see it for yourself, sire,” Elyan grimly said.

Arthur glanced around his small army, fierce determination on his face. “I know the Southrons are strong,” he said. A brief flash of fear crossed their faces, and the king had an inkling that they were far stronger than what they had originally imagined. “I know that Morgana is aided with her powerful magic.” He paused as an effect, letting his words sink in. “But Camelot is _ours_ and nobody, not even the most powerful sorcerer, can ever stop us from claiming it back.”

Roars of agreement ran rampant. Southrons and Morgana be damned, but they were ready to face them.

* * *

Princess Merlin, Arthur, and Gaius were running. They ran so fast, even if there were painful stitches at their sides, hoping against hope that no Southrons would see them.

As what they have predicted, Morgana already knew of the king’s return. Because of this, most of the troops were scattered in front, especially guarding the Throne Room, and leaving most of the other entrances clear.

When they entered inside, the Court Physician immediately broke away from the group to tend to the injured.

Camelot was in turmoil. Merlin willed herself to not get distracted, to stick to the plan, but it was getting hard when numerous lifeless bodies littered the hallway of the castle. There were a lot of blasted and ruined areas inside the castle; it was a wonder as to why it still stood despite all the destruction it received.

She choked back a sob, noticing the dead body of Madame Brenda strewn haphazardly atop other bodies she did not recognize. The matron was hard on her, but _still_. This was too much.

Arthur’s hand snaked to hers and gave it a squeeze. She looked at him, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, and squeezed his hand back. He looked furious and devastated at the same time. Despite not being the true king in this time period at all, Arthur still felt angered with the injustice shown in this kingdom.

Her tears immediately stopped, replaced with sheer determination to bring Morgana _down_. She had caused too much just because she was slighted. Morgana made matters worse, showing terror to those who insulted her because she was magic.

Merlin blindly blasted away anyone who tried to block their way. The door to the Throne Room was looming and Merlin just wanted everything to be over, for peace to be restored, and she and Arthur could finally go home.

“Ready?” she asked, as they finally stopped in front of the door.

Arthur, gingerly reaching for her hand, firmly nodded his head. “I’m ready.”

They quietly opened the door and went inside. Morgana had her back against them, still sitting on her throne, as she waited for the arrival of the king. The Throne Room was empty, which was expected. Morgana wanted to have a face-off with her half-brother, _alone_ , after all.

The High Priestess was eerily predicable, Merlin thought.

She hid behind a pillar and removed their disguises. Before Arthur could face the sorceress, Merlin reached for his face with both of her hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips. “Break a leg,” she whispered fearfully, prompting him to smile.

"I’ll try not to,” he joked, pulling away, and finally approaching Morgana.

Merlin watched as the High Priestess stood from her throne, aghast with his sight.

“How is that possible?” she roared, flabbergasted. Behind the pillars, Merlin smirked. Their plan was slowly putting into action. “Agravaine just told me that you are with your knights as of now!”

Arthur haughtily lifted his chin. “Really now?” he drawled, shifting back to his kingly attitude.

The pretend king walked closer, with Morgana eyeing him cautiously. The High Priestess now completely faced Arthur.

He gave Merlin a quick glance from the pillars, taking it as her cue to slowly emerge from the pillar, with arms outstretched.

“This must stop now, Morgana,” Arthur told her softly but firmly. “You have caused too much pain.”

Morgana snarled and bore her teeth. “Which will never add up to the pain that you and your _damned_ father caused me!” she exclaimed, tendrils of her curly hair flying with her rage. For a fleeting moment, old Morgana was reflected in Merlin’s eyes. But it was quick, an honest testament that Morgana was far in too deep in her hatred and despair.

It was too late to save her.

If only the legendary warlock offered his assistance immediately. If only Morgana would see that what she was doing was _wrong_ , that there was another way to show the whole world that being a person of magic was not _evil_. Millions of what ifs rushed inside Merlin’s mind, but she knew it was too late now.

“And now, you must perish!” Morgana then suddenly exclaimed, hands outstretched and ready to curse Arthur.

Merlin took that as a cue to bewitch the columns. “ _Cleof ahríes_ **[1]** ,” she exclaimed, eyes flashing gold as the columns rumbled and tumbled down. Morgana was too slow to react, who was immediately buried inside the numerous rocks, knocking her unconscious.

“NO!” Agravaine suddenly roared, coming into the scene. Filled with rage and despair, he wrapped an arm around Merlin in anger, digging a dagger to her neck.

King Arthur, horrified, acted quick and pulled out his sword. But Agravaine pressed harder, making Merlin gasp in pain as blood oozed out from her neck. Arthur slowly placed his sword on the ground, kicked it away, and raised both of his hands in defeat.

“Agravaine, let go of her,” he said, as calmly as possible, so as not to agitate the furious lord.

“I knew killing _you_ off was too easy,” Agravaine shakily said. He angrily glared at Arthur and continued, “I always knew your _wench_ will ruin all of my plans.”

“Watch your tongue, you git,” Merlin snarled despite the cold blade pressed against her neck.

King Arthur gave her a warning glare to stop talking, but Merlin couldn’t help it. She was raised to be prim and proper, yes, but at the same time, to defend herself against ungrateful gits like Agravaine.

“Agravaine,” Arthur carefully said. “Uncle, please, let us talk this through.” 

The lord seemed to be driven mad, hopelessness clouding his face. “Your bastard father killed my sister. She was… she was everything to me,” he cried, despaired. “I did not even have the satisfaction of ripping off that smug smile from his face!” An angry growl escaped from his lips and Merlin stifled another gasp as his blade dug deeper. “So now, you will perish in his stead. The blood coursing through your veins… YOU! You are the reason why my poor Ygraine met her untimely death!”

The front doors of the Throne Room suddenly opened. In came King Arthur and his manservant, both disheveled and bloodied from the battle outside, but nonetheless well.

Agravaine’s grip on his dagger slackened, his eyes now darting frantically from one Arthur to another. “How… how is this possible?” he breathlessly asked, thoroughly confused and frightened.

Princess Merlin took that as her chance to free herself. “ _Bærne_ **[2]**!” she exclaimed. The blade suddenly turned red-hot from her spell, and Agravaine, with a shout, released the dagger. Merlin kicked it as far away from him as possible. 

“ _Forþ fleoge_ **[3]**!” Manservant Merlin exclaimed. Agravaine was suddenly thrown into the air. His head collided with one of the pillars with a sickening crunch, before slumping down on the ground, bloodied and unconscious.

For a moment, none of them said anything, save from their heavy breathings due to tiredness and adrenaline. 

Then, King Arthur cautiously took a step forward, eyes frantically darting around.

“Where is Morgana?” he inquired, frowning when there was no visible proof of her presence. 

“In the rubble,” the bodyguard replied.

The originals jogged closer to the piles of stones and tried to remove some. They were nearing the bottom, but Morgana was still nowhere to be found. There were obvious streaks of blood, however, and grimly, King Arthur lifted his head and looked at the other occupants. “She’s gone,” he said.

Princess Merlin clenched her fist, mentally berating herself for not taking care of Morgana immediately. If only Agravaine did not meddle! She could have rid Morgana from this kingdom and perhaps, _perhaps_ the Battle of Camlann would not happen and the manservant would be spared from a broken heart.

“It’s all right,” the manservant reassured. “At least, we get to reclaim Camelot.” 

It was a comforting thought, but it was not enough to reassure the occupants of the room.

At the back of their minds, with Morgana still alive and hiding elsewhere, they would never be safe.

* * *

**[1] _Cleof ahríes_ – Rock, fall down**

**[2] _Bærne_ \- Burn**

**[3] _Forþ fleoge_  - Fly forth**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only have 2 chapters for this story. Thank you to all those who read, comment, and/or give kudos!


	37. The Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Merlin and Bodyguard Arthur finally have an idea on how to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end, people.

Three days had passed ever since reclaiming Camelot. Numerous infrastructures suffered greatly under Morgana’s reign; the economy of Camelot plummeted to its lowest during King Arthur’s reign, much to Sir Blythe’s horror. There were plenty of casualties and injured, with the Court Physician bustling around to tend to their needs.

Camelot was in a vulnerable state, but at least, she was rightfully owned by King Arthur once more.

Princess Merlin found herself doing chores with her original counterpart, brushing off floors from grime and remnants of battle from the Hall of Ceremonies. She blatantly tried to ignore the fact that the brown, crusted spot on the floor she was scrubbing was in fact dried blood. Instead, she vigorously focused more on her goal of making the whole room clean.

They were the only ones in the room. Many servants died from the hands of the Southrons. They were in chaos, especially because of Madame Brenda’s death; thus, helping in cleaning and tending to the sick were more of voluntary work nowadays. 

It was quite a mournful sight in the servants’ quarters. Despite her terror, Madame Brenda kept them directed. King Arthur already promised to appoint a new one to bring order once back in the servants. For now, the manservant and the pretend maidservant busied themselves with cleaning.

The Hall of Ceremonies was relatively unscathed, save from the blood and other remnants of battle on the floor. They had been cleaning for hours, and yet, they still had not reached half of the room.

 _‘Why are you bloody vast?’_ she thought with a sigh, her arms already smarting from all the scrubbing. Merlin would not be surprised if her biceps started bulging from all the hard work she did.

At the corner of her eyes, Merlin caught the warlock sizing her up. She almost rolled her eyes at how ridiculous he was, especially when he still could not believe that she was his future reincarnation.

Some people once commented that she looked _awfully_ like Meredith, but with some alteration spells here and there, and the king’s manservant’s introduction of her as his cousin, they immediately brushed it off. Besides, the people of Camelot were too busy to dwell on her uncanny resemblance with their supposed future queen.

 _“You’re supposed to be_ dead _?”_ Manservant Merlin inquired her once when they told him of their predicament.

 _“It’s a long story,”_ she replied with a wide grin. _“Let’s just say our favorite Agravaine here was the root cause of the said story.”_

The two Arthurs were a different story, on the other hand. King Arthur assumed his role once more as the leader, whilst her bodyguard preferred to hide in Gaius’ quarters. The two were actually in the Court Physician’s bedchambers right now, Bodyguard Arthur still recounting on all the things King Arthur missed during his absence.

The thought of going home excited her, but she knew Camelot must be stable first before she could selfishly demand them to help her and her bodyguard to go home. She grew to love this kingdom and it also pained her how much destruction it had to bear for the past weeks.

“Stop staring at me like that,” the princess said, followed by a sigh and a glare. She finally got fed up with his staring.

The manservant was sheepish, and stopped scrubbing all together. He now openly stared at her, and Princess Merlin gave up on reprimanding him. She knew she intrigued him so. After all, she was the first time traveler he had ever met.  

“I still can’t believe - .”

“ – that I’m your reincarnation,” she quickly finished, prompting him to chuckle. “Yes, I think you’ve told me that for the umpteenth time.”

“Hey, I can’t help it!” he said, raising his hand in defense. “You’re _me_. Isn’t that amazing?”

Princess Merlin grinned and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous,” she pointed out.

“You just technically said that you, yourself, are ridiculous,” he retorted back.

“Touché,” she said, laughing in addition.

Silence settled between the two of them, but the female reincarnation knew that something was bothering him. Before she could probe him to speak, he suddenly said, “I don’t mean to pry, but one thing has been stuck to me ever since we met.” She strangely looked at him, silently urging him to continue. “You once said that I am a Legendary Warlock.”

To her surprise, his cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. “Err… I just want to ask,” he quickly said, turning redder with each word, “if I am really destined for greatness.”

His question was almost innocently asked, the princess thought he was ridiculously adorable. She could remember Original Merlin’s feelings of self-doubt and insecurity, especially during days when he failed to heed the call of destiny and protect Arthur from harm.

“Now, where is the surprise?” she asked, complete with an ominous smile. “Besides, King Arthur’s humongous ego is enough for this kingdom. I’d rather you don’t grow yours to match his, yes?”

He laughed at her response. “Then answer this question instead,” he said, eyes lit up with humor. “How is your world different from mine? I’m sure I’d be dead by then, so there really wouldn’t be any harm done.”

She gave him a small, sad smile. Her conversation with Arthur back in the Darkling Woods made her wonder if Merlin would even remember this little talk they were having. “Well,” she said, after some time, “everything will be much more advanced. For instance, we don’t use privies and chamber pots. Oh, and we don’t use horses as a means of transportation anymore. It’s animal cruelty, if you ask me.”

Manservant Merlin looked utterly confused with her claim. “But, where do you urinate?” he asked, almost looking exasperated it made her look amused. “And traveling by foot can be really bothersome, although, I absolutely agree with the animal cruelty.”

She grinned. “Who said we’d be traveling by foot?” she said. His eyes widened with her answer. “People already invented metal contraption that can help us travel from one place to another.”

“What else,” he asked, rapt attention on his face. “Go on.”

Princess Merlin chuckled at his fascination. “Hmm… what else?” she asked, absentmindedly scrubbing on the bloody spot on the ground once more. “Women could wear breeches, or fittingly _jeans_. Salt is a basic commodity. We use some paper as a form of currency. And, well, people can now have entertainment by watching moving people through a box.”

She ticked off her fingers, thinking of more interesting facts to say. His eyes were growing wider and wider with each of her recount and she chuckled. “Also, _obviously_ , I am a girl in my time and the future Queen of my country.”

He digested her last words for a while, an inexplicable expression on his face. “It’s really surprising,” he confessed, “of you being a princess!” He shook his head and went back to scrubbing again. “And with Arthur as your servant, nonetheless.”

“Actually, I like the term ‘bodyguard’ more,” she said, her grin widening. “I can’t really fancy myself into thinking of myself as a boy, honestly.”

“But a _princess_!” Merlin exclaimed once more, gesturing at her wildly. Some ruddy water flew from his passionate actions, the princess had to duck to avoid some of it. “ _Honestly_ , I can’t really imagine myself as a royal,” he said, with a sigh. “Chores are hard, I admit. But they’re my life, and I am happy doing them.”

She smiled, completely understanding his words. During her stay, she learned all the basic chores done in a household. Although she was dead tired every day, the work felt satisfying. Hunith would have her head if she discovered that her daughter would rather scrub floors than practice her dancing lessons.

“We’ve speculated about it for a while,” she slowly said, “but I think this is destiny’s way of paying you for all your and your reincarnations’ hard work in protecting the Once and Future King.”

To her surprise, Merlin thoughtfully nodded his head. “I’ve talked about this with King Arthur, too,” he said, blushing with flattery. He was silent for a while, contemplating the next words he would say. “Protecting Arthur is hard, you know.”

Images of all her adventures in the forest in the University of Avalon flashed before her mind’s eye. “I absolutely concur with that,” she said with firm conviction. The manservant looked at her in amusement, and she expounded, “Despite the one being sworn of protection from him, I’m the one doing all the protecting. Arthur could be… could be such a - .”

“Magic magnet?” Manservant Merlin supplemented, hopeful.

Her eyes widened, the same words sitting at the tip of her tongue. “Exactly!” she exclaimed. She laughed, amused that they were thinking the same thing. “Destiny is unpredictable, and our lives are intricately woven with our own versions of Arthur. Thus, whatever time period, we had no choice, as _Emrys_ , to protect our Once and Future King.”

He nodded, subdued with her words.

“But perhaps, destiny thought it was fine time to finally be repaid with our actions by reversing our roles,” she said, gesturing to herself. “Although, honestly speaking, I think my bodyguard would be a wonderful monarch more than what I’ll ever be.”

The manservant took some time to take in her words. “But the gender change?” he said, a playful grin on his face. “Is it really necessary? Personally, I like my masculinity.”

“Oh, it has its perks,” she said, giving him a wink. “After all, I always get what I want.”

“Hmm, cheeky,” he commented with a wide grin. “Very Arthur-y. Are you really sure you’re my reincarnation?”

Princess Merlin laughed boisterously, quite an unlady-like sight. “I think our looks could be enough explanation,” she said, pointedly looking at his face.

He absentmindedly ran a hand through his ears. “True,” he replied, openly staring at her once more. “You do have my ears.”

* * *

Gathered in a secret chamber underneath the castle of Camelot, Princess Merlin never imagined that such an event would ever happen in her whole life. But then again, she never imagined herself being whisked away into an ancient land to save the legendary Merlin and King Arthur in the first place.

Her eyes quietly took in the picture before her. Her bodyguard stood beside her, an amused look on his face. Her future counterpart flanked her other side, an unreadable expression on his face, while King Arthur stood at the head of the round table, stance tensed as he waited for his knights and Guinevere to at least say anything.

It was Gwen who moved first, body swaying a bit as she tightly clutched on the table for balance. The king immediately went to her side to help her.

“Quite all right, Gwen?” Princess Merlin asked, forehead creasing in worry.

Gwen’s wide, almost frightened eyes fell on her. “B-but you’re…” Her voice faltered, faintly plopping down on one of the stone chairs. “I saw you in the fire…”

“I think two Arthurs in this room would be more of a shocker, really,” her bodyguard uttered under his breath, earning a glare from the princess. Bodyguard Arthur sheepishly smiled and shrugged his shoulders, surprised to see that Gwen was also glaring darkly at him. Apparently, she had heard him. 

“Okay, okay,” Original Merlin said, finally speaking for the first time. “I know this is all very confusing for you lot” – Gwaine snorted loudly – “but… but she insisted that it would be best if we revealed everything to you.”

Princess Merlin smiled and took a step forward. “I… apologize for any distress I’ve caused from the pyre and all” – this time it was Gwen who snorted loudly – “But! It was a necessary act so that I can start finding the original Arthur and Merlin and finally save Camelot from Morgana and the Southrons.”

“ _How_ did you do that?” Gwen asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “I saw you… _we_ saw you burn. We heard your screams…” Her voice faltered, eyes misting in remembrance of the event.

The princess sadly smiled at the maidservant. “I’m… magic,” she finally confessed, earning gasps from the other knights in the room. As if instinctively, their hands rested on the hilts of their swords, ready to draw them out, but King Arthur held his hand warningly. “I enchanted my way out of the pyre.”

Silence followed her confession. Princess Merlin beseechingly looked at Gwen, silently asking her to understand. To her astonishment, Gwen stood up from her chair and threw herself at Merlin, quiet tears escaping from her eyes. “I thought you’ve died,” she whispered.

“Well, here I still am,” future Merlin toothily replied.

“All right, all right,” Leon said, a tad hint of impatience in his voice, “now that we know how Meredith is alive and breathing here in this room with us, can somebody care to explain how there are two _Arthurs_ in this room?”

The only females in the room chuckled amongst themselves and broke away from their hug.

“This will be more shocking, I swear,” the manservant muttered, shaking his head, seemingly in disbelief too.

Bodyguard Arthur sighed. “It is a _long_ story,” he warned, “so to make things short, we” – he gestured at Princess Merlin – “are from the future.”

Another silence settled in the room. This time, jaws dropped at their revelation. Princess Merlin beseechingly looked at her bodyguard to say something once more, prompting Arthur to sigh. “How we got here… well, we still do not completely understand,” he continued, eyes sweeping through the silent occupants. “What we do understand, however, is that your king and his manservant were in dire need so some powerful force swept us here to try and save our original selves.”

“Hold on,” Leon said, creasing his eyebrows. “What do you mean by ‘original selves’?”

Bodyguard Arthur frowned. “I think you might have already guessed that I am King Arthur’s future reincarnation and Meredith” – he gestured at the sheepish princess – “is Manservant Merlin’s future self.”

“YOU ARE WHAT?!”

“Gwaine, really,” the king tutted, rubbing his ear in pain.

The said knight yanked the manservant and princess and placed them side-by-side. For a while, his eyes darted from Princess Merlin to the original one, disbelief growing on his face as minutes ticked by. “Dear gods, you are not known as ‘Meredith’ are you?” Gwaine sputtered in disbelief.

“I see you’ve finally figured it out,” Manservant Merlin said while rolling his eyes. “The difference in gender might have confused you, really.”

“You’re _M-Merlin’s_ reincarnation?!” Percival exclaimed, sheer disbelief on his face.

Even Gwen was taken aback as she finally pieced two and two together.

Cheeks reddening in embarrassment, the manservant continued, “Apparently, I will be reborn as a girl – OW!”

“You make it sound like it’s a horrible thing!” Princess Merlin growled.

“I’m still reeling, I apologize,” he replied, rubbing his smarting arm.

Leon suddenly burst into laughter and shook his head. “I’ve always thought you reminded me of Merlin, Meredith,” he confessed. “You have an uncanny resemblance.”

“I thought so, too,” Elyan piped in. The others vigorously nodded their head, surprised they were not the only ones who had that sentiment.

“But… but look at you!” It seemed like Gwaine was the one who harbored the greatest disbelief. “You’re…. you’re _pretty_.”

Princess Merlin’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment but they did not rival the manservant’s color right now.

“That sounded really, _really_ wrong, mate,” King Arthur piped in with a grin.

Gwaine gave him a dark glare. “I hear no objections, do I?” he shot back. The king also turned red and looked away, unable to think of a reply. Both Gwen and Original Merlin gave King Arthur suspicious glares.

“All right,” Gwen started, breaking the awkward silence, “so now that we established that both you and the other Arthur are from the future, how are you both going back?” She frowned and looked at the originals. “I mean, both of our Arthur and Merlin are finally here.”

Princess Merlin and Bodyguard Arthur exchanged a look.

“We’re still working on it.”

* * *

Two and a half weeks after reclaiming Camelot, the two Arthurs and two Merlins found themselves deep in the Darkling Woods.

The recuperation of the kingdom was painstakingly slow, but very much understandable. Princess Merlin knew advancements in technology were still severely lacking and King Arthur and his knights had to work extra grueling hours just to restore Camelot back to its former glory. Most of the infrastructures were already addressed and most of those injured were already tended to.

King Arthur suggested one night to the bodyguard that they could finally research on how they could go home. Bodyguard Arthur relayed this information to Princess Merlin, and she was instantly thrilled. Finally, they could go home and she’d continue her duties to her country.

It was the manservant who suggested that they see Kilgharrah. After all, the Great Dragon held knowledge that was vast; it would not surprise him if the dragon at least has a clue as to how the time travelers could return to their own timeline.

The two Arthurs were at the sides, while the Merlins stood at the middle of the huge clearing. Awkwardly, they both started to open their mouths and shout the incantation. The original Merlin stopped and locked at her in shock, prompting the princess to merely giggle. Apparently, they had never really talked about this.

“You’ve done this before?” he asked, awed.

“Oh, you’d be surprised what I had to do in this place,” she said, prompting her smile to widen. The manservant regarded her with so much surprise and respect it warmed her heart. It was as if he was silently telling her that she was worthy to be his reincarnation.

“So, who calls him then?” she proceeded to ask, gesturing at the sky.

The manservant was thoughtful for a while, before casually shrugging. “Both?” he suggested.

Princess Merlin mirrored his shrug. “Let’s see,” she said.

They simultaneously took a deep breath, and when they opened their mouths, the ancient incantation was uttered. “ _O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!_ **[1]** ” Their voices roared loudly in the dark forest, echoing each other’s words but at the same time sounding as one.

From the sides, both the king and the bodyguard looked at them in awe, trying to comprehend how really powerful these two beings were.

As the gold in their eyes dimmed, the familiar great flapping of Kilgharrah’s wings were heard. He first encircled the night sky, obscuring the light from the moon and the stars, before swooping down with magnificent speed and landed gracefully in front of the two Merlins.

Kilgharrah’s golden eyes lit up in amusement as he stared at the past and future reincarnations, standing side-by-side. “Interesting,” he said, his gaze now shifting to the princess. “I see you have found what you are looking for.”

She prettily smiled in response.

“It’s been a long time, old friend,” the dragonlord said, catching Kilgharrah’s attention.

“Indeed, it has been,” the dragon replied. “I knew you were well once I felt you awaken in my consciousness.” He looked at the princess once more and, to their surprise, he lowered his scaly head, as if in a respectful bow. “Thank you for saving them. But forgive me, I am curious as to why you still summoned me.”

Princess Merlin took a few cautious step forward. “So, both the originals are back in Camelot and they are very much alive,” she started. “And I think we” – gestured at her bodyguard – “are not needed anymore, since balance in Camelot is restored.” She curiously blinked and peered up at the dragon. “Thus, we are now faced with a new predicament, which is how we will go home.”

“I’m sure Camelot does not need two insufferable kings,” the manservant piped in, earning him two, identical glares from the Arthurs at the sides.

The princess chuckled and earnestly nodded her head. “Please, we need to go home,” she continued. “ _I_ am needed back home, since I have a country to one day rule over.”

For a while, Kilgharrah was thoughtful. They all waited in bated breath for his answer. Princess Merlin even prayed that whatever his suggested solution would be, it would not be too hard to do.

“The balance in this world has been restored, young sorceress,” the dragon then replied. “You are correct in assuming that you are not needed anymore.” He paused, looked at Bodyguard Arthur and then to her, before continuing, “Perhaps, your way in will be your transportation back.”

Realization dawned on her face. “The Lake of Avalon!” she exclaimed, excitedly looking at her bodyguard. He, too, sported the same awed realization on his face. “How come we never thought of swimming into it?” They had plenty of time, and taking a quick dip in the lake would not hurt them at all. But then of course, back then, Camelot was in turmoil and destiny would not allow them to go back without fulfilling their purpose of saving Original Arthur and Merlin.

“Thank you for your great help, Kilgharrah,” she said, hope blossoming in her heart. “I think… I think we will be able to go home now.”

* * *

Almost a month had passed and the two Arthurs and two Merlins finally found themselves in front of the Lake of Avalon.

Camelot was nearly rebuilt. Workers had spent extra effort just to put Camelot back in order. Simply put, it was starting to be stable again, much to the king’s relief.

Thus, here were the reincarnations, accompanied by their original counterparts, hoping to get home soon. King Arthur was not busy anymore, and they thought it fitting that he was with them when they sent off the time travelers back home. The originals wanted to bring the Knights of the Round Table with them for farewell, but their future counterparts insisted that they were the only ones to accompany them.

 _“It would be too sad,”_ Bodyguard Arthur explained. After all, they would miss them dearly.

Princess Merlin eyed them with sadness in her eyes. It was still a mystery whether Arthur and Merlin would remember all these events. She would know once she got back and tried to recall Original Merlin’s memory of Ancient Camelot.

When they arrived at the great lake, it was tumultuous, its waters serving as a huge mirror for the wonderful night sky. It was reminiscent of the lake back home, when it turned tumultuous when she dove after her drowned bodyguard. For her, it was a good sign.

“Well, this is it,” she said with a small, forlorn smile. “Goodbye, Merlin, goodbye Arthur.”

To their surprise, Merlin threw her arms around the king. She felt him grow hot with her hug, but she merely chuckled. “This is how it feels like to hug a female Merlin,” she teased, knowing that the king would laughingly blush at her comment. She then proceeded to give him a kiss on his cheek for thanks. “Thank you for believing us even during your days of confused amnesia.”

She pulled away at him and looked fondly at the king. Even when he was Benedict, Merlin grew considerably close to him and even considered him as a friend. “You will be a wonderful king, Arthur,” she vowed.

King Arthur grinned, his cheeks still startlingly red, and nodded. “I will keep that in mind,” he said.

As he and her bodyguard talked between themselves, of future plans on Camelot and other insignificant things, Princess Merlin strode towards Merlin and also gave him a hug.

“You have no idea how awesome this is to me!” she gleefully said, tightening her hug with her past reincarnation. As a sucker for histories and fantasy novels, these were all a dream come true for the princess. She doubted anyone would believe her when she said she met the Original Merlin, and thought of merely keeping it to herself.

“Aw-awesome?” the manservant asked, confused. “I do not entirely understand what you said, but judging from the tone of your voice, I take it as a good thing, yes?”

She answered him with another chuckle of her own.

“You know,” the manservant added, “I have this inkling neither I, nor Arthur, would remember this, with the balance being restored and all.” He pulled away and worriedly looked at her. “I’m worried the Southrons’ attack would happen again, that _Morgana_ would still wreak havoc…”                                                                         

Princess Merlin nodded her head; the manservant could be ridiculously perceptive if he wanted to. “Arthur and I have talked about that before,” she said, turning somber. She proceeded to tighten her hug around Merlin. “This is why I’m taking my time hugging myself.”

His shoulders shook with laughter from her words.

She pulled away again, held both of his bony shoulders, and said, “You will be great, Merlin, I promise you.” When his eyes lit up with her words, she continued, “Maybe you will not remember me or remember anything that had happened. But please, I hope you will remember to trust yourself and the decisions you make in the future.” _‘I hope you don’t blame yourself for Arthur’s death,’_ she continued as an afterthought, remnants of his pain for Arthur’s downfall suddenly feeling fresh in her heart.

He grinned once more and surprised her when he pulled her for another tight hug. “Thank you, Merlin,” he said, as earnestly as he could.

“Princess, it’s time,” Bodyguard Arthur called.

It took all of her willpower to pull away from Merlin. Giving him one last smile, she strode closer to her Arthur and held his hand, lacing her fingers with his.

They stood in front of the lake, which now was terribly trashing. It felt as if it knew that something was not _right_ in this place.

Both reincarnations looked back at their originals one last time, marveling how great their adventure was in Ancient Camelot.

“I’ll miss you,” the princess whispered to no one, before tightly squeezing Arthur’s hand.

Together, they waded through the murky waters and finally disappeared from their sight.

* * *

They were gone in an instant, but Merlin did not feel worried. A soft glow of light engulfed the whole lake when they entered, and they knew some work of magic took place.

He took a sideway glance at the king, frowning at the faraway look on his face.

Sighing, King Arthur finally turned to him and mirrored his frown. “What?” he asked, suddenly feeling unconscious.

As they travelled back to the castle, Merlin finally asked the question that had been bothering him ever since he saw their reincarnations and the king together.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, sire,” he slowly said, carefully watching for Arthur’s reaction. “But, did you harbor a crush on the princess?”

He was hoping against hope that he would not, because _lord_ , how awkward would that be?

“I DO NOT!” King Arthur roared, but his cheeks betrayed him.

Merlin felt sick in the stomach and he _knew_ he would not be able to look at Arthur for days. Somehow, he wished they would forget everything they knew during the stay of the time travelers, just so he could wipe away that image of a furiously blushing Arthur.

“Oh gods, you had a crush on my female reincarnation, did you?!”

The only thing he received was a loud smack at the back of his head.

“Wait ‘til Guinevere hears about this!”


	38. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's no place like home.

She was sinking, deeper and deeper, but strangely she did not feel like drowning. Around her, Arthur was lost, but Princess Merlin felt no panic inside her chest. She felt peace, she was _at_ peace, and closing her eyes, she sank deeper and deeper.

The waters of the Lake of Avalon hummed with magic, with the waves crashing against her body, bringing her with the flow. Merlin let the magical lake bring her wherever it wills, pushing her farther and farther from the surface.

From above, she saw bright light and her gut feeling told her to follow it. Her gut was never wrong, as proof with her constant decisions back in Ancient Camelot as Meredith the Maidservant.

Her arms and legs felt like jelly as she swam closer and closer to the surface. She was an awful swimmer; King Balinor had forced her to go through swimming lessons in times of need, and she always hated those times. But here, in this lake, she strangely felt at ease. The tiredness and heaviness that always accompanied her swimming was gone. All she did was swim higher and higher, until she finally resurfaced from the water.

The light she was apparently following was from a search lamp. The sudden impact of being underwater a while ago finally hit her, and the pain of drowning overwhelmed her form. Wild coughs racked her body, the harsh, biting wind of the night prompting her to shiver violently. Fuzzily, she thought she’d rather be underwater again, taken care by the magical water, but she suddenly felt some pressure on her almost numb arms.

Through blurry eyes, she could make out the faces of King Arthur’s knights, Gwaine and Percival. Slight confusion appeared on her face, watching them mouth furious words she could not understand, and noting that they were not wearing their armors. Instead, they sported long sleeves with disheveled bow ties. Their eyes were wide as they effortless brought Merlin back on the shore of the lake.

“Ar… thur,” she slurred, finally realizing she was with her bodyguard a while ago. Percival brought her into his arms, her head lolling back in tiredness. “Percival,” she gasped, her lungs still adjusting with the sudden rush of oxygen. “Arthur…”

“Shh,” he said, holding her tighter against his arms. “You’re all right. He’s all right.”

She gazed on the ground just beside her and Percival, and she soon caught sight of her unconscious Head Bodyguard. Relief washed over her form as she finally succumbed to the calls of unconsciousness.

* * *

As he slowly opened his eyes, Arthur instantly knew something was different. Eyes lazily roaming around the room, the surrounding seemed strange, having been used to his vast bed back in Camelot. The heavy curtains were _wonderful_ , shielding him off from the sudden sunlight pouring through the windows.

This room was different, however, for the sunlight scattered through, prompting him to scowl darkly. He tried to rack his brain, remembering what had transpired last night and how come he was in this strange room.

Blearily, he looked at the alarm clock placed at his bed side, blaring the time ‘10:00 am’. _‘It’s still so early,’_ he mentally groaned, trying to sit up, when he suddenly froze in shock. Realization dawned as he looked back at _his_ alarm clock, a metal contraption that was not yet invented during Ancient Camelot.

His eyes roamed around once more, realizing more and more that he was back in his dorm room in the University of Avalon. An onslaught of emotions came crashing through and he plopped back down on his bed, disbelieving with the sight.

 _‘It worked,’_ he thought, awed, that apparently trying to drown in the Lake of Avalon would bring them back to the present. _‘I’m home.’_

He was then reminded that Princess Merlin was with him, prompting him to shot back up from his bed. His whole body complained, pained from the experience of time travelling and drowning, but he ignored them all. He had to make sure that Merlin was well before he could rest easy.

Before he could even wear his slippers, he finally caught sight of the small lump slumbering on the couch in his dorm room. He shot a quick glance at Gwaine’s bed, and was surprised to see that he was not on it. _‘Where did he go?’_ he thought, now walking closely to the sleeping form.

To his surprise, it was the princess. Horrified that he was able to sleep on a bed whilst the Crown Princess slept on the couch, Arthur crouched down and gently shook her awake.

She immediately woke up, her eyes widening upon seeing her bodyguard. Arthur helped her on a sitting position, and was caught off guard when she threw her arms around his neck.

“We’re home,” she tearfully cried, pulling away slightly just to look at his face.

The bodyguard grinned, and held Merlin’s shoulders to completely pull her away from him. He then proceeded to survey her body, hoping against hope that she was not injured from their travel back home. To his relief, there were no apparent wounds on her body.

“I’m fine,” she said, blushing with his perusal. “Honestly, I am.”

Arthur sighed and pulled the chair from his desk. He sat down and stared once more at the princess.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“Just a few hours,” she said, stretching languidly to shake off some remnants of her sleep. “I woke up earlier than you did, when my parents came to visit me.”

A lump formed in his throat. “How… how long have we been gone?” he asked slowly.

Merlin smiled disbelieving and shook her head. “ _Hours_ , Arthur,” she replied, still sporting that disbelieving look on her face. “We’ve only been gone for hours, when we’ve been in Camelot for what, a year?” She ran a tired hand through her face and sighed. “My other bodyguards were worried we weren’t back. They saw the whole debacle in the Lake of Avalon, and were relieved they found us.”

“Hours?” he mouthed, slumping on his seat. “That short, huh?”

She nodded her head. “I am actually grateful for it, though,” she said. “It meant we did not miss a lot.”

He merely absentmindedly nodded his head, still trying to digest her words. “Where are the others, though?” he asked. 

“Well, I kicked them off to let them at least eat some breakfast,” she said, a fond smile growing on her face. “They’ve been noisily tittering over you a while ago. It was a wonder you did not woke up from all the ruckus they made.”

Bodyguard Arthur looked at her, his eyes shining with all the emotions he was feeling right now. “I can’t believe it,” he gushed out. “We’re actually home.”

She mirrored his expression. “We are,” she said, followed by a sad smile. “I… I’m not sure if it is right for me to feel this, but I actually miss Camelot.”

He understood what she felt, feeling that miserable longing in his heart, too. During their stay, Camelot became an important place in his heart. Not all of the reincarnations were given the opportunity to truly relieve their days as their original counterpart, and he felt special he was chosen for this kind of adventure. He missed it, badly so if he may, and he could not deny it.

“At least we are home,” he reassured her with a smile, but she did not return it at all. “What’s wrong?”

Princess Merlin looked at her lap and sadly sighed. “While you were sleeping, I tried to recall the memories of our original counterparts,” she softly started. She then slowly lifted her head and tearfully looked back at Arthur. “I… I don’t think they remember us, Arthur.”

He was silent for a while, trying to recall the memories of his past reincarnation. Images of the king and Manservant Merlin danced in his mind’s eye, as they engaged in different adventures. There were enemies of old, magical and non-magical, alike. But there were no memories of him nor Princess Merlin. There were no sudden disappearances of the legends. In fact, the timeline was set back as what they had originally remembered. Indeed, they were not remembered.

“At least we remember,” he offered once more, somehow relieved that he would not be forgetting that seemingly unforgettable adventure he had.

This prompted Princess Merlin to smile, much to his relief.

“What happened to assailant, by the way?” he inquired.

Merlin composed herself for a while, before answering. “When my parents came by a while ago, they told me there had been death threats addressed to the castle for the past few days,” she started, frowning as she recalled her conversation with King Balinor and Queen Hunith. “They all thought that the target was either one of them, so the security in the castle was heightened. Turned out” – she gestured at herself – “I was the target after all.”

“What of the assailant then?” he asked, growing somber and worried with the story. “Was he captured? Imprisoned?”

A strange expression appeared on her face, much to his surprise. “Oh, _she_ was captured, all right,” she spat, eyes turning into slits.

“ _She_?” he echoed, surprised. “The perpetrator was a woman?”

“Apparently,” she said, her expression growing stranger and stranger. “My parents were somehow still sensitive with the subject and they did not tell me any more details, save from their description of the assassin.”

He did not like how she was sounding right now. “What did they say?” he urged.

Unblinkingly, she met his curious, blue eyes. “Long, ebony hair… piercing, grey eyes,” she recounted, almost breathlessly. “Gwaine, that pervert, reckoned she was a beauty.”

His heart fell to his stomach. “Is it…” His words faltered, as Merlin vigorously nodded her head.

“I am sure of it,” she said, followed by a tired sigh. “I just _can’t_ believe it.”

Arthur released a low whistle, surprised with the sudden turn of events.

“She was sent far away, I think,” Merlin continued. “The king would not tell me what they would do to her, but I’m assuming it would be nowhere near pleasant.”

“Of course it would not be pleasant,” he shot back, slightly angered. “She almost killed _you_.”

Merlin smiled. “And yet, I’m still alive, and it is all thanks to you,” she said, reaching forward to grab his hand. “My parents are eternally grateful for your hard work. From what I heard from a bird or two, expect a reward.”

The bodyguard rolled his eyes. “Why?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow, “I was just doing my job.”

She giggled as her response. “And a damn good one, I tell you!” she replied.

“Shh,” Arthur said, mockingly placing a finger against his lips. “What will Queen Hunith say when she hears her only daughter cursing in such an unprincess-like manner.”

Princess Merlin sighed and shook her head. “I guess we’re back to our original roles,” she gesturing at the two of them. “Me as a princess, and you as a bodyguard.” A soft moan escaped from her lips as she slumped against the couch. “I miss cleaning.”

“I can’t say I miss being a king, though,” he said, thoroughly relieved he did not have to attend to another council meeting and listen to the endless chattering of some of the selfish lords. Somehow, he felt sorry for the original Once and Future King.

“I’m just…” She reached for his hand again and gave it a squeeze this time. “I’m just glad we remembered everything.”

He grinned back, cheeks reddening as he remembered their conversation back in the Darkling Woods. “I told you my love for you will transcend time,” he boldly said, despite his hot cheeks.

Merlin’s face reddened with his statement. “Cheeky,” she replied, her grin stretched so wide Arthur wondered if they hurt. “I like that.”

Their conversation was broken as the door was suddenly pushed open. Merlin jolted, immediately retrieving her hand, and lightly glared at the newcomers. Arthur amusedly turned his eyes to the door as Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and, much to his relief, Lancelot, came pouring inside.

“You’re awake!” Percival exclaimed. The boys proceeded to engulf the Head Bodyguard into a tight hug, knocking off the air from his lungs.

“Hey, hey!” Arthur exclaimed. “I’m still recuperating!”

Boisterous laughter rang in the room as they simultaneously took a step back to allow Arthur to breathe. Beaming, he looked at the other bodyguards, his _friends_ , and yes, he missed Camelot terribly, but he was back, and it was all that mattered. His eyes lingered a little bit on Lancelot, somehow grateful that the bodyguard would not be sacrificing himself in this timeline to seal off a tear between life and death or something like that

“Where did you go, you lot?” the princess inquired. “Breakfast was over hours ago!”

“We had this emergency meeting with the palace guards, the king, and the school administration,” Leon answered, pointedly staring at Arthur. “King Balinor was not thrilled with the turn of events, which is expected.”

“Which is bad news for you, princess,” Gwaine quipped. “You are to be strictly guarded right now. Everywhere you go, at least one of your bodyguards must accompany you. During bathroom breaks, Gwen and Freya are to accompany you…”

Princess Merlin bristled. “But, they’re not even my coursemates!” she interjected.

Gwaine shrugged. “The school will do something about it,” he replied. “You also can’t sneak off at night this time. Two of us will be guarding your door.”

She crossed her arms and grumbled darkly under her breath.

Arthur tutted. “Not very princess-like,” he said, shaking his head for effect. The others boisterously laughed while the princess glared darkly at him. If looks could kill, he would be dead right now. “I know that we will be extra strict this time – .”

“ – and I’ll be _extra_ annoyed - .”

“ – but this is for your own good,” the head bodyguard finished, amusement on his face.

She merely harrumphed and looked away.

“So, we hate to break this mini reunion,” Elyan said, “but we are summoned back in the castle for further instructions from the palace guards.”

Arthur made a move to stand up, but they all shook their heads.

“King Balinor specifically told us to let you rest,” Lancelot said, holding down onto Arthur’s shoulders until he plopped back down on his seat.

“But - .”

"We get that you want to be the best bodyguard of the year,” Gwaine said, an amused glint in his eyes, “but let the others shine, too, you git.”

Arthur made a huge show of rolling his eyes, but he did not complain any further. Perhaps it was travelling forward into time, but he would not admit that he felt awfully tired. From how Princess Merlin fought on keeping her eyes open, he reckoned she must be feeling the same way, too.

“We’ll be back before twilight,” Leon said. “For now, do get some rest. You look awful.” He shot a look at Merlin and grinned. “Even you, princess.”

She raised her chin. “How dare you insult your future queen?” she playful replied, earning her a wicked grin on Leon’s face.

They soon poured out of the room, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone. The princess then proceeded to slump back down on the couch and drew her knees to her chest. Arthur watched her antics in amusement, silently thinking she actually looked cute right now.

“Go back to your room,” Arthur urged. “I’ll guard your room so that you can rest well.”

She vigorously shook her head.

"Then, at least take my bed, or Gwaine’s,” he continued.

“No,” she said, a tired smile on her face. “I like your couch.”

Arthur sighed and stood up, grabbing a spare blanket from his cabinet. He then proceeded to cocoon the princess with the warm, comfortable blanket, prompting her to sigh.

“Thank you,” she said, squirming underneath until she found the right position. “You should rest, too, Arthur. You do look terrible, you know.”

The bodyguard made a face. Instead of answering, he dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Rest well,” he murmured, smiling down at the sleepy princess.

He was about to stand up and go back to his comfortable bed, when she held onto his sleeve. Arthur looked at her questioningly, as her cheeks grew hot under his gaze.

“I… I’m glad I remember everything, Arthur,” she shyly said, prettily smiling up at him.

His breath hitched slightly at her smile. Bending down, he bestowed another kiss, but this time on her lips. “Me too,” he said. “Me too.”

* * *

Princess Merlin looked around, contentment in her heart as another semester started in the University of Avalon.

Her Christmas break was a whirlwind of parties and charities, and everything was too dizzying. She was so used to being behind the scenes during events such as these back in Camelot; it almost caught her off guard with the humongous amount she had to spend on the dance floor and in the public just to please her future subjects.

 _“I miss being a maidservant,”_ she whined once to her Head Bodyguard, who merely chuckled at her in amusement.

Ever since the attempt to her life, her bodyguards and her parents were stricter than before. Queen Hunith refused to let her attend functions without her by her side. King Balinor, busy as he may be as the supreme leader of the country, made it a point to always check up on his daughter every time he could. Despite the break, her bodyguards were also her constant companions, not that she was complaining. After all, this meant she could spend more time with _Arthur_. The others were annoyingly boisterous, however, and it was hard to be discreetly meeting with Arthur when they would constantly flank her side.

She invited Freya to the castle, much to the girl’s amusement. Gwen was with her when she visited; the dark-skinned beauty had already visited the castle a few times for Elyan, hence, it was only Freya who was actually quite excited with their little get-together.

Before Merlin knew it, another new year arrived, and it meant, she had to go back to the university. King Balinor and Queen Hunith were reluctant to let her go this time, but she stood her ground. _“I have to earn my degree,”_ she said with conviction, prompting the king to beam at her with pride, despite the worry he felt.

With a tearful Hunith, she was finally allowed to ride back to the University of Avalon, together with her bodyguards, to start another semester.

Merlin sat through her class in a hazy daze, mind constantly travelling back to her adventures in Ancient Camelot. The truth was, she missed the kingdom and she still could not shake the disappointment she felt upon realizing that her original counterpart and the friends she had did not remember her at all. It was unfair, she thought, because she could still vividly picture all the events she had to go through. She even remembered the feel of burning at a stake, for heaven’s sake!

The only good thing about the turn of events was her relationship with Arthur. They agreed to meet tonight, at the Lake of Avalon, to just reminisce the good, ol’ times.

Once midnight came, Merlin shot a brief glance at her slumbering roommate. Gwen fell asleep on the carpeted floor once more, prompting the princess to smile disbelieving. She sauntered close to Gwen’s bed, grabbed her comforter, and daintily placed it around her shoulders. 

Then, she grabbed a nearby cardigan and wore it over her nightgown.

Merlin slowly opened the door and poked outside. As what her bodyguards promised, two of them would stand guard outside her room every day to tighten security. Princess Merlin, however, could not help but to roll her eyes at the sleeping Gwaine, his mouth agape and would most likely be dreaming about his newest prospect.

The chair beside him was unoccupied and Merlin smiled. Arthur might already be in the Lake.

She then quietly walked out of her room, before making a mad dash through the field as soon as Gwaine was out of earshot. Nevertheless, the bodyguard slept like a log; he would not notice she was gone.

The figure of Arthur came into vision and she grinned. She recalled the times when she had to secretly meet up with him in that abandoned garden back in Camelot. A myriad of emotions pooled in her heart, suddenly feeling nostalgic just looking at his back.

Merlin paused for a while and stared at him, cheeks warming at how the moonlight bathed Arthur. He almost looked ethereal, _breathtaking_ even. Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand against the left side of her chest to calm herself down. Her head bodyguard sure still made her feel a lot of things.

“I know I look devilishly handsome,” he suddenly said, disturbing the peaceful night. Arthur slowly turned his head to look at her with a wide smirk on his face. “But didn’t the queen tell you that staring is rude, your highness?”

Her cheeks reddened, but she merely sheepishly smiled.

She silently walked closer, her smile turning fond as Arthur reached out his left hand. Merlin proceeded to grasp it with her right, mentally willing her heart to calm the hell down.

“Have you waited long?” she inquired.

The Once and Future King shook his head. “I just came here a few minutes ago,” he reassured, giving her a sideways glance. “I had to make sure Gwaine was asleep, though.”

A frown now marred his handsome face, eyes once more staring at the calm waters of the Lake of Avalon. “Seriously,” he claimed, “I think _Gwaine_ is suspecting something. That bloke really does not know when to mind his own business, eh?”

Princess Merlin laughed. “He’s awfully perceptive,” she pointed out. “I can give him that.”

Arthur sighed and shook his head. “It will not do us any good if they find out we are, for lack of a better word, _in love_ ,” he retorted back.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “How so?”

“What?”

She gave him a hard, long stare. “How will them finding out do us no good?” she expounded, saying each syllables as clearly as possible.

Arthur had suggested that they kept their relationship a secret from everybody they knew, even their friends. Merlin only accepted it without any questions, but now that she properly dwelled on it, she did not really see the logic of hiding their relationship from their friends.

“For starters,” the bodyguard said, a confused frown on his face, “You are the future Queen of this kingdom and I’m merely your humble bodyguard.”

“Hmm.”

“What hmm?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Does that bother you?” she asked, a challenging look on her face.

“Of course not!” he answered, a little too quickly. When Merlin still stared at him, he blushed. “Well, maybe a little…”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

The princess rolled her eyes. “Right,” she said. “Answer me with questions.”

Bodyguard Arthur sighed and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “It doesn’t bother you?” he inquired.

Without any hesitations, she vigorously shook her head. She watched as amusement appeared on his face. “Why would it bother me?” she stated, matter-of-factly. “I _love_ you.”

His cheeks reddened more with her strong conviction. “Oh, I know,” he said, sighing and somewhat deflated. He was flattered, however, with the words she said. “But… I dunno, I just think that now is not the right time to reveal to them that we are hopelessly in love with each other.” He paused, contemplating deeply, before continuing, “I’m just afraid that if the king and queen found out that you are consorting with the likes of me, they’d assign me elsewhere or _worse_ , strip me off from my position.”

He made sense, and Merlin hated him from that. Ancient Camelot was, after all, ruthless to them when Arthur announced that a lowly maidservant like her would become the future Queen of the said kingdom. She did not want to admit it, but she had this inkling this modern times would be the same too. She was, after all, burdening a great weight on her shoulders and she had no doubt that the council would urge her to marry a more strategic husband than a lowly bodyguard like Arthur.

 _‘Marry?!’_ a voice inside her head hysterically claimed. _‘You are too young, Merlin Ambrose Emrys!’_

Funny, when she was about to marry him back in Camelot.

Absentmindedly, her hand went up to the ring still strung around her neck. She had forgotten about it during their brief adventure with the Original Merlin and Arthur. Merlin had only remembered it once more when they were back in the present. Oftentimes, she found herself toying with it. The ring was the only thing which proved that their adventure back in Camelot actually happened.

“Did I… did I say something wrong?”

She shot a look at him, stifling a smile at the deep worry lining his face. Merlin studied his face for a while, marveling once more at how gracious the gods may be for bestowing Arthur Pendragon here on earth.

“If,” she slowly started, her eyes never leaving his face, “I tell you I want you to be my king in the future, will you agree?”

His eyebrows creased together, digesting her words. Once he realized what she was saying, he turned into a startling shade of red. Merlin’s eyebrows shot up to her forehead, behind her fringes, thinking she had never seen Arthur so red before.

“W-what?” he sputtered out, blinking rapidly in surprise and utter mortification. “ _Your king_?”

“Isn’t it fitting, Once and Future _King_?” she asked, a mischievous smile growing on her face. “Even in this lifetime, you can still live up to your destiny.”

He kept on sputtering, eyes wide with disbelief. “What has gotten into you?” he demanded, now turning a little frustrated.

Boisterous laughter exploded from her lips as her hands landed on both sides of his warm cheeks. She tiptoed a little and bestowed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I was toying,” she said, mirth still evident in her eyes. “Heavens, Arthur, no need to have a heart attack!”

When he merely glowered, she continued, “I clearly remembered that the roles were reversed when you were the one who _desperately_ asked me to marry you.”

“That was _different_ ,” he claimed defensively. “I actually thought we won’t… you know. We won’t be able to come back.”

Princess Merlin sighed, subdued. “A part of me somehow conditioned myself that going home might be impossible,” she confessed. “It still felt so _surreal_ to be back. Sometimes, I wake up really early in the morning, thinking I have some scrubbing to do, only to realize that it’s 2 am in the morning and my classes will not start for five hours more.”

Arthur was earnestly nodded his head. “I kinda got the hang of listening to my council babble political stuff,” he concurred.

She made a face upon mentioning King Arthur’s council back in Camelot. “I disliked Sir Blythe with a passion,” she grumbled, remembering the smug and condescending Council Treasurer. 

“Try listening to him talk endlessly,” Arthur said. He mockingly raised his hand, “'Sire, pardon my intrusion, but don’t you think the castle needs more potatoes?'”

She smothered a giggle behind her hand with his poor excuse of an imitation. “That was horrible,” she commented.

“ _He’s_ horrible.”

Merlin smiled and nodded, her eyes gazing once more at the still waters of the Lake of Avalon. “So,” she then said, breaking the silence after a few minutes, “our friends finding out about us… what do you think?”

“I still think it’s a bad idea,” he reasoned with a frown. “I mean, it’s _not_ the right time.”

“Blimey, Arthur, it’s not as if we’ll be telling my _parents_ ,” Merlin said with a flourished eye roll. “That might take some time. Perhaps, when I am finally on the throne or something. But they’re our _friends_.” She expelled an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms. “Besides, I know they’re suspecting anyway, so better relieve them from agony of speculating.”

Arthur also expelled a sigh, but a small smile was now tugging at the corner of his lips. “Fine,” he said, snaking an arm around her waist. He tucked his chin above her head and contentedly smile. “At least somebody could cover us when you want to sneak off to god-knows-where.”

She warmed against his hug, prompting him to chuckle. “ _You’re_ the one who always wanted to sneak around,” she lamely retorted, somehow embarrassed to admit it was mostly her who tugged him off to someplace hidden for brief lip-locks. “Our friends will be very supportive, I assure you.”

“Of course,” he said. “They’re our friends.”

Princess Merlin wound her own arms around Arthur’s waist and snuggled closer. “But you will still marry me, yes?” she jokingly inquired.

His shoulders rumbled with another chuckle. “Someday, in the future,” he replied, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “And I very much would like it if no burning at the stake will follow.”

Her mere answer was a laugh of her own.

“Besides, aren’t we two sides of the same coin?” he continued, pulling away to look down at her bright, blue eyes. “I think destiny very much want us together so I don’t really have any choice but be stuck with you in this lifetime, and the next, and the next, and the next…”

She hit his chest to shut him up, but Arthur laughed and caught both of her hands into his. “You’ll be stuck with me forever,” he murmured, now in a whisper, as his head slowly moved closer.

“Mmm, that sounds quite all right,” she replied with a smile, her eyes now drooping close. “Destiny is quite adamant, I believe.”

He grinned, before finally closing the space between them in a kiss.

* * *

**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've reached the end! Thank you to all those who dropped kudos, comments and bookmarked this story. Cheers!


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